Turkey orders nearly 1,000 arrests in crackdown on Gülen movement ahead of coup anniversary

Turkish authorities have launched a sweeping operation, ordering the arrest of nearly 1,000 individuals suspected of links to the Gülen movement. The crackdown, announced by Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, targets those Ankara accuses of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in July 2016. This move comes as Turkey approaches the tenth anniversary of the event that shook the nation.

The 2016 coup attempt saw a faction of the military try to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government. The uprising was ultimately suppressed, leaving over 250 people dead and around 2,000 injured. Erdoğan has consistently blamed Fethullah Gülen, a US-based cleric, and his organization, FETO, for masterminding the plot.

Following the failed coup, Turkey declared a state of emergency, which lasted until 2018. This period was marked by extensive purges across the military, police, media, judiciary, and public administration. Hundreds of thousands have since been detained, and tens of thousands dismissed or forced into exile, profoundly impacting Turkish society.

Ministers Tunç and Interior Minister Mustafa Varank characterized the latest arrests as a "great cleansing campaign." They stated that police are actively searching for the 968 suspects to eliminate any remaining ties to the "FETO terrorist organization," using the acronym for what Ankara calls the "parallel state structure" allegedly created by Gülenists. "The will of our nation and the survival of our state are threatened by the FETO/PDY traitor network, and our struggle against it continues with the same determination as the first day," the ministers declared on X.

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The will of our nation and the survival of our state are threatened by the FETO/PDY traitor network, and our struggle against it continues with the same determination as the first day.