Turkey initiates 81‑province crackdown on FETÖ, targeting 968 suspects
On the anniversary of the 15 July coup attempt, Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced a coordinated operation across all 81 provinces. The operation aims to dismantle the clandestine structure of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ/PDY) and resulted in legal action against 968 suspects, with the majority located in Ankara, Istanbul and İzmir. Assets seized during raids totalled about 9.7 million TL, including cash, foreign currency and gold, and extensive digital material was confiscated.
In parallel, the Presidency’s Communication Directorate reported that 2 702 social‑media accounts identified as linked to FETÖ were blocked, and an additional 1 652 accounts promoting terrorism were subjected to legal and administrative measures. Technical analysis of the encrypted ByLock messenger revealed a hierarchical ID system used by the group; the study named several high‑profile users, such as former police chief Erol Demirhan (ID 27) and former Ankara police deputy chief Oğuz Kiremitçi (ID 28).
Both ministries emphasized that the fight against the “traitor network” will continue with the same resolve as on the first day, thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his leadership. A quoted statement from the ministers reads: “Milletimizin iradesine ve devletimizin bekasına kasteden ihanet şebekesi FETÖ/PDY'ye karşı mücadelemiz ilk günkü kararlılık ve hassasiyetle devam etmektedir.”