Turkey: AKUT founder detained over 2016 coup attempt social media post

Nasuh Mahruki, the founder of Turkey's AKUT Search and Rescue Association, faces detention following a controversial social media post about the 2016 coup attempt. The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into Mahruki for "inciting hatred and animosity or demeaning the public" after he posted his views on the July 15 coup attempt.

Mahruki was apprehended at his Istanbul residence. His post alleged that the coup was a controlled event, allowed to happen to facilitate a regime change, with the United States as the primary planner. He claimed this maneuver "made Erdoğan Shah and checkmated the Turkish nation."

In his statement to the police, Mahruki elaborated on his perspective. He stated that the relevant state institutions were aware of the planned coup beforehand through various intelligence sources, including warnings from Russian intelligence and a report from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara regarding the Gülen movement's preparations within the military. He also cited a statement from former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan, who reportedly warned then-Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar to keep the military in check.

Mahruki argued that state units, aware of the impending coup before the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decisions, felt compelled to act preemptively. He suggested that the coup plotters' plans were disrupted, leading to their "feet getting tangled." He also referenced President Erdoğan's statement that he learned of the coup after it began, implying a delayed response from state bodies despite multiple warnings. Mahruki concluded that this delay resulted in the deaths of 251 citizens and significant casualties within the Police Special Operations Department due to airstrikes, suggesting the intervention was too late.