Turkish military again plots anti-Erdogan coup: 158 officers arrested, "funds pool" of rebels seized

Turkey uncovered a large terrorist organization network in 41 provinces

Author: Konstantin Orshansky

Turkish special forces launched a nationwide operation and arrested 158 senior officers. All are suspected to be linked with Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of planning the failed coup of 2016.

According to Turkish media citing Istanbul and Izmir prosecutors, the operation took place in 41 provinces of Turkey. The arrested individuals include mid-to-senior level officers from the army, air force, gendarmerie, and navy, as well as former military academy students. The search for an additional 18 military personnel is ongoing. Daily Sabah reported that the highest-ranking person among those arrested was a Marine Corps colonel who previously served as the Deputy Chief of the National Defense Ministry.

Fethullah Gulen is the founder of the "hizmet" movement, an Islamic preacher, and a public figure. He was once a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but later became a political opponent. According to Al-Arabya, Gulen moved to the United States in 1999 and has not returned to Turkey since then.

In October 2024, 83-year-old Gulen died in a hospital in Pennsylvania, USA. However, he still has many followers in Turkey.

The Turkish government accuses the "hizmet" movement of attempting to establish a "parallel state" and overthrow the elected government.

Al-Arabya emphasized that Gulen's followers have infiltrated various areas of Turkish society, including the military. On July 15, 2016, multiple units of the Turkish armed forces attempted to overthrow the government and seize power.

Soldiers surrounded the parliament, Istanbul Airport, the country's largest television and radio company TRT building, the presidential palace, and police and intelligence headquarters in Ankara, and even used tanks and airplanes. At that time, President Erdogan called on the people to "take to the streets," to oppose the rebels and protect the country. Street fighting led to the death of more than 250 civilians and two others were injured. Notably, according to Agenzia Nova, due to the leak of intelligence, the "hizmet" coup attempt was launched one day earlier than planned.

After the coup was suppressed, Turkey launched a nationwide campaign to investigate Gulen supporters. According to Daily Sabah, more than 28,000 "hizmet" supporters were arrested, of whom over 9,000 were imprisoned.

About 9,500 arrested persons were released after cooperating with the government. It was based on their testimonies that the true scale and internal structure of the Gulen movement became known.

According to TRT, since then, special forces have continued to investigate "hizmet" members. In this large-scale operation, the prosecutor's office and the counter-terrorism department analyzed a unified phone call database. All special forces in Turkish provinces can access this database to understand which terrorists communicate with. It was through this method that 176 military personnel who regularly contacted "hizmet" civilian members were identified. They used walkie-talkies and pre-paid lines in public places (such as markets and vending machines with payment terminals) for communication.

According to Today's Turkey, the operation simultaneously dismantled the "hizmet" financial network. Over 60 people were arrested in an operation targeting a chain restaurant network previously seized by the Turkish Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). Investigators found that staff at 29 out of 74 branch restaurants had been involved in "hizmet" related cases. Financial police MASAK's financial audit confirmed that there were multiple unregistered fund transfers, which were disguised as donations or personal loans. In fact, these funds were used to fill the "funds pool" of the terrorist organization, Today's Turkey said.

Agenzia Nova emphasized that the day before the terrorist organization network was uncovered, Erdogan was heading to the Netherlands for the NATO summit. This summit will bring together heads of state and government leaders of 32 NATO member states and partner countries, with the main topic being the situation in the Middle East.

Hasan Gurbuz, the communications director of the Turkish Presidency, has stated that the new "Defense Investment Commitment" will be discussed at the summit. It is expected that Erdogan will support proposals to increase defense spending by NATO member states and strengthen security cooperation. In this context, dismantling the terrorist organization network within the Turkish military leadership comes at an opportune time - it can deter other NATO member states and promote Erdogan's proposal.

The long-term struggle against "hizmet" also benefits Erdogan, as the Turkish president hopes to be re-elected for a third term next year. But there is a small "obstacle" - the Turkish constitution prohibits the president from serving three terms. And amending the constitution requires some special events, such as another coup attempt.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7519752594299617831/

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