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Turkish authorities detained 16 suspects in a wide-scale operation across 14 provinces against the so-called “mahrem” (secretive) police network of the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ).
The investigation, led by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, identified a total of 18 suspects through multiple sources, including testimonies of former group members, evidential data provided by a secret witness codenamed “garson” (waiter), and sequential call records that revealed covert communication methods.
Investigators have uncovered that several suspects who studied at Police Academies in Istanbul were in contact with group-linked individuals known as “mahrem imams” – civilian handlers overseeing police officers and students – between 2012 and 2014. These connections were allegedly made using special operational phone lines controlled by the group.
Suspects also maintained accounts at Bank Asya, a now-defunct lender that was the heart of FETÖ’s financial institution.
Detention orders were issued for four of the civilian handlers, one of whom is still a serving public officer, along with 14 police personnel. Among them, 11 remain active in the police force while three had previously been dismissed from duty.
Simultaneous raids were launched in cities including Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Izmir and Mersin. Sixteen suspects were taken into custody, while authorities confirmed two others are abroad.
The operation is part of Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the group’s infiltration into state institutions using secret communication channels and the rigid chain of command. The Gülenist terrorist group is also held responsible for the failed coup attempt against the Turkish government in July 2016, which resulted in 252 people killed and over 2,700 injured.
In 2023, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) found that over 3,000 infiltrators of the group were still active within the National Police after spending more than six years to unveil an encrypted database seized from the top FETÖ member codenamed “garson” who was behind the group’s coup plans.
Investigations and the arrests against the FETÖ terrorist group still continue day by day to expose the network, especially concentrating on the military, police and bureaucracy figures.
