Türkiye captures FETO suspect linked to 2016 assassination attempt against Erdogan

17:45

By: Sahili Aya

Türkiye captures FETO suspect linked to 2016 assassination attempt against Erdogan

Turkish authorities have arrested a suspected member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) who was wanted over his alleged involvement in the 2016 failed coup attempt and an operation targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Interior Ministry announced.

The suspect, identified by the initials B.K., was detained during a counterterrorism operation carried out by Turkish security forces in the western provinces of Afyonkarahisar and Eskisehir. According to the ministry, the operation was coordinated through the national police intelligence structures and resulted in the capture of the wanted individual by counterterrorism units.

Authorities said B.K. was a former army captain and helicopter pilot who had been subject to an Interpol Red Notice. The ministry stated that he was linked to the FETO cell accused of carrying out an attempted assassination against Erdogan in Marmaris during the July 2016 coup attempt.

The arrest is part of Türkiye’s continued campaign against FETO, which Ankara holds responsible for organizing the failed military takeover. Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that efforts to identify and prosecute members of the organization remain ongoing.

The 2016 coup attempt, which was defeated after widespread public and institutional resistance, resulted in 253 deaths and more than 2,700 injuries, according to Turkish official figures. Ankara says the operation was orchestrated by FETO under the leadership of its founder, Fetullah Gulen.

Security operations targeting individuals suspected of links to the group have continued in the years following the coup attempt, both inside Türkiye and abroad, as authorities pursue people accused of involvement in the events of July 2016.