Turkey launches nationwide crackdowns on FETÖ, cyber crime and illegal betting

The Turkish Interior Ministry announced that coordinated operations were carried out across the country. In 22 provinces, gendarmerie and public prosecutors detained 128 suspects linked to the FETÖ terrorist organization; 51 of them were taken into custody, 14 placed under judicial control and extensive digital material was seized.

Separate cyber‑crime raids involving the Police, Gendarmerie and the MASAK anti‑money‑laundering unit were conducted in 39 provinces. Authorities reported 669 suspects, of whom 361 were remanded in prison and 191 placed under judicial control. The investigations targeted sophisticated fraud, illegal online betting and the distribution of child‑sexual material, and uncovered phishing sites, unauthorized access to banking apps and large‑scale money‑laundering schemes.

A parallel operation against illegal betting networks in İzmir, Aydın, Balıkesir and Tekirdağ resulted in 34 arrests, the seizure of firearms, SIM cards and banking tools, and the blocking of 6,314 bank accounts linked to betting activities. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi stressed a “zero‑tolerance” policy, saying the government will continue to trace and cut off illicit financial flows in the digital sphere.