Overview

Diplomatic, legal, and intelligence efforts to repatriate fugitive FETÖ members continue a decade after the 15 July coup attempt. The Ministry of Justice has submitted formal extradition requests to more than 100 states. MİT and police forces have run coordinated cross-border operations that captured dozens of members, including alleged senior figures, and returned them to Turkey.

Decade-Long Operational Record

MİT reports 1,710 operations against FETÖ over the ten years since the coup attempt. These operations led to judicial proceedings against 6,906 individuals, of whom 4,403 were arrested and imprisoned. Cross-border operations across more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa brought over 100 organization members to Turkish justice.

Countering Infiltration of State Institutions

Efforts to block infiltration of public institutions identified 9,215 individuals serving in various ranks or as civilian staff across the Ministry of National Defence, the Armed Forces, the Gendarmerie, and the Coast Guard. All cases were referred to relevant authorities for legal and administrative action. Within the alleged military clandestine structure, 4,291 individuals at a "responsible" level were identified and processed. Nineteen fugitive civilian clandestine officials and 28 previously dismissed, fugitive former military personnel were captured.

Operations in the Most Recent Year

Thirteen FETÖ members were caught at border crossings while preparing to flee the country. Simultaneous operations across nine provinces, centered on Istanbul, targeted the organization's financial infrastructure: court-appointed trustees were placed at 22 companies, and three individuals were arrested.

Technical Detection Capacity

Facial-recognition systems were used to individually screen 40,061 suspects. These screenings identified the current locations of 353 fugitives domestically and 1,481 abroad, generating 4,460 tracking reports in total. Separately, 312 social-media analyses identified more than 30 high-follower accounts described as coordinated troll activity, 21 fugitive members allegedly coordinating perception-management operations, and 13,330 accounts posting content characterized as provocative toward Turkey.

Judicial Follow-Through

Individuals identified by MİT face indictment by chief public prosecutors' offices and trial before heavy penal courts, with sentencing outcomes that vary based on the nature of the charges and whether defendants provide testimony against other members under effective-remorse provisions.

Notable Repatriation Cases

Selahaddin Gülen, reported nephew of the group's alleged leader, was captured in Kenya and returned on 31 May 2021, later sentenced to 3 years and 4 months. Orhan İnandı, described as the organization's Central Asia official, was returned from Kyrgyzstan on 5 July 2021 and sentenced to 21 years for leading an armed terrorist organization. Gürbüz Sevilay, a defense-industry figure reported to have traded missile and radar systems with the PKK, was returned from Uzbekistan and sentenced to 4 years and 3 months. Tamer Avcı, accused of online propaganda activity, recruiting students, and writing articles against Turkey, was also prosecuted.

Salih Fidan and Samet Güre, described as overseas-education officials, were intercepted while attempting to cross from Ukraine into a third country and brought to Turkey on 6 January 2021. Simultaneous operations in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus captured İsmail Okkalı, linked to the alleged military clandestine structure, on 17 March 2021, and Ayşe Özalp on 24 January 2021; a reported police clandestine coordinator, Ahmet Yiğit, was captured in a separate KKTC operation. Hasan Hüseyin Günakan, described as a key figure, was returned via a joint operation with Kosovo's intelligence service and sentenced to 8 years, 1 month, and 15 days.

Uğur Demirok, linked to the alleged police clandestine structure, was captured in Azerbaijan in September 2022 and later identified 81 additional members after providing testimony under effective-remorse provisions. Mustafa Tan and Mustafa Bircan, described as officials responsible for the organization's North Africa propaganda, lobbying, and finance activity, were captured in Algeria in December 2023. Interrogation reportedly produced evidence of shell companies used to manage covert cash flows and coordinated fake social-media accounts targeting Turkey.

Closing Assessment (Source Statement)

On the tenth anniversary of the coup attempt, Turkish authorities describe these measures as having significantly degraded FETÖ's global operational capacity and state that the same level of resolve will continue. Coordinated MİT, police, and judicial cross-border operations are described as aimed at fully narrowing the organization's remaining financial, digital, and lobbying activity abroad. Intelligence and law-enforcement units are reported to be committed to continuing operations until all fugitives with outstanding arrest warrants are delivered to Turkish justice.