Key FETÖ suspect brought back to Turkey
A key Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) suspect was brought back to Turkey as part of operations against the terror group, security sources said on Sunday.
Yusuf Inan, a FETÖ-linked social media expert, who fled to Ukraine after the 2016 defeated coup attempt -- was brought to the country following operations conducted by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
Inan allegedly tried to discredit some political figures and state officials in Turkey by carrying out a perception operation on social media.
He was also wanted in western Izmir province for “being a member of an armed organization".
On Thursday, two more figures; Isa Ozdemir, who was apprehended in Azerbaijan, and Salih Zeki Yigit, in Ukraine, were brought to Istanbul following operations by MIT.
Ozdemir and Yigit are suspected of being members of an armed terror organization. Turkish intelligence officers last March had brought six alleged senior FETÖ members back to Turkey following operations against the terror group’s branch in the Balkans, according to security sources.
In cooperation with Kosovar intelligence, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) arrested the six men, who were said to be in charge of getting FETÖ members out of Turkey to go to Europe and the U.S.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Germany is becoming a safe haven for sympathizers and members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), two years after the group’s foiled coup attempt in Turkey.Around 14,000 people with suspected ties to FETO have arrived in Germany over the last two years, the country’s international broadcaster DW reported this week.Video: Turkey since the coup attempt on July 15, 2016“Germany is becoming our new hub,” a senior figure of the group said.The U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen’s shadowy group orchestrated a coup in July 2016 after a long, secretive campaign to infiltrate state institutions in Turkey. The attempted military takeover left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Despite Turkey’s repeated warnings, Berlin has not yet outlawed the group, arguing that they do not constitute a serious threat to Germany.What happened on July 15, 2016?As German authorities tolerated their activities, Gulenists have set up new propaganda outlets and associations in recent months to support FETO suspects who fled Turkey, local media reported.At least 1,177 Turkish citizens with diplomatic or service passports, including former soldiers, officials, and their family members, applied for asylum in Germany, the country’s immigration authority BAMF has confirmed.A Berlin-based branch of the group, Aktion für Fluchtlingshilfe, has provided support for these asylum-seekers, according to the reports.Turkish parliament speaker marks July 15Most of them were former officials and soldiers wanted by Turkey due to ongoing investigations of their suspected links to the coup attempt or FETO itself.Tolerance, tensionAnkara has long urged Berlin not to grant political asylum to former officials, and to instead return them to Turkey for a fair and transparent trial at home.Germany’s tolerance towards the group, and its reluctance to extradite FETO suspects to Turkey, has been a source of tension between the two countries.While in recent weeks German authorities made critical statements about the group and signaled a tougher stance, they have not yet taken any concrete measures.Galeri: Turkey commemorates martyrs of failed July 15 coupSeveral key figures of the group, who are among Turkey’s most-wanted terrorists, have been living in Germany, according to media reports.These include ideological forerunners of the group Abdullah Aymaz and Mehmet Ali Sengul.Adil Oksuz, a top suspect in the 2016 coup attempt, also spent some time in Germany after fleeing Turkey, according to several witnesses.The 51-year-old theology lecturer received support from the FETO network in the country.Jerusalem marks anniversary of defeated coup in TurkeyFalse imageSince the 1990s, Gulen’s shadowy group has also managed to build a large network in Germany, which is home to more than 3 million Turkish immigrants.The group owns dozens of private schools, businesses, and several media organizations, and claims to have around 70,000 followers on German soil.FETO members have tried to avoid public criticism in Germany by focusing on "interfaith dialogue" programs and sticking to “moderate” messages.Galeri: View of 15 July Martyr Bridge from the airThe group’s foundation, Stiftung Dialog und Bildung, has sought to win the trust of media, influential churches, and political institutions.Ex-FETO members, speaking to German media in recent weeks, stressed that the group has a dual structure, and despite its “democratic” and “moderate” image in public, it has a secretive and strict hierarchy controlled by its ideological leaders.
After the attempted coup, Germany becomes safe haven for FETÖ
July 15 marks the second anniversary of the defeated coup during which the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- a clandestine group organized under the guise of education which infiltrated state offices, especially the military, judiciary, civil service, and treasury, and which tried to take over the government -- attempted a coup in 2016.Galeri: Turkey commemorates martyrs of failed July 15 coupThe night of July 15, 2016, the coup attempt saw tanks closing down a bridge in Istanbul that connects Asia to Europe, and fighter jets and helicopters flying down over Istanbul and Ankara and bombing the presidential complex, parliament building, police and intelligence headquarters, while civilians came out to resist the coup.Then-Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar was taken hostage by the putschists, as he said he would not support the coup bid.Turkish parliament speaker marks July 15During the defeated coup, a total of 251 people including police and civilians were martyred, and nearly 2,200 were wounded.The coup attempt, orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by the U.S.-based so-called “cleric” Fetullah Gulen, aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the government and capturing the state.In a television appearance at 11.02 p.m., then-Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it was a revolt and they were evaluating the possibility of a coup attempt. He added: “Those who are involved in this unlawful act will pay the heaviest price."Galeri: View of 15 July Martyr Bridge from the airSpeaking to CNN Turk at 12.24 a.m., President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: “This incident, unfortunately, is the coup attempt of a minority within the Turkish Armed Forces. This is a revolt encouraged and used by the parallel structure (FETO) as its mastermind."The president called on the Turkish people to take to the streets in order to stop the coup-plotters.In response, people poured into the squares to protect democracy all around Turkey, especially in the capital Ankara and Istanbul, climbed on tanks, stood against guns, and defeated the heinous coup attempt.Turkish embassy in Iraq marks July 15In the legal process in the years since, in 194 cases concluded out of 289, a total of 2,381 people convicted of involvement in FETO have gotten jail terms, including 1,624 life sentences.
What happened on July 15, 2016?
Turkey’s parliament speaker said Sunday that their aim is to keep alive the spirit of national unity that flowered in the face of the defeated July 15, 2016 coup.Speaking to reporters following his visit to the Karsiyaka Martyrs' Cemetery in Istanbul, Binali Yildirim said, citing Turkey’s current population: “Our aim is to keep the spirit of July 15 alive, make the brotherhood, unity and solidarity of 81 million everlasting.”The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Turkey marks the historic day as Democracy and National Unity Day with events to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.“We commemorate with mercy and gratitude, our martyrs, who devotedly, willingly sacrificed their lives on July 15 in defense of our land,” Yildirim said.He added that commemorative events will be held throughout the day by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, government ministers, and various institutions.Erdoğan will also take part in a march on Istanbul’s July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, where he will make an address.Turkish embassy in Iraq marks July 15Turkish embassy in Iraq marks July 15Erdoğan recites Quran for martyrs of July 15 coupUS media shortchanges FETÖ threat: Film director
Turkish parliament speaker marks July 15