Most FETO fugitive coup plotters now in US, Germany: Turkish minister

Some 16 percent of fugitive members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye, are believed to be in the US, and 23 percent in Germany, according to a top Turkish official.

Speaking to Anadolu days before the eighth anniversary of the defeated July 15, 2016 coup attempt, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that thanks to Türkiye’s determined fight against FETO, the group can no longer operate within Türkiye’s borders.

He also mentioned ongoing operations to expose the organisation's attempts to restructure itself.

"Thanks to investigations done within our ministry, 44,444 individuals have been dismissed from various units, and precautionary measures continue for 849 individuals."

"Our law enforcement agencies, in coordination with judicial authorities, closely monitor and launch operations against identified targets," he said.

Yerlikaya stressed the efforts will continue with the same determination until the last member of the terrorist group has to face justice.

"During this Cabinet term, in 6,025 operations targeting FETO members, 9,738 individuals were detained, 1,697 were arrested, and judicial control measures were imposed on 2,036 individuals," he added.

The defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 253 people were killed and more than 2,700 were wounded, was plotted and carried out by FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen has long lived in the US state of Pennsylvania. Turkish leaders have long sought his extradition, but US judicial officials have not approved it.

'Most FETO activities have moved abroad'

Following successful operations against FETO, a significant portion of the terror group’s activities were shifted abroad, said Yerlikaya.

Wanted individuals are trying to illegally flee abroad, he said, stressing that the group is focusing on international infiltration using institutions like schools, the media, civil society groups, and businesses.

23 percent of fugitive group members in Germany

Yerlikaya noted that the terror group, after the 2016 coup attempt, has been trying to finance its domestic activities and sustain i ts presence in Türkiye with income reaped abroad.

He said: "Although this has been explained to our counterparts, approximately 16 percent of fugitive organisation members are believed to be in the US and approximately 23 percent in Germany."

Fetullah Gulen, the group’s leader, has long lived in the US state of Pennsylvania. Turkish leaders have sought his extradition for years, but US judicial officials have not approved it.

"This is a key reason why some countries adopt and do not recognise it as a terror group," he said.

Yerlikaya reported that coordinated efforts with Turkish foreign missions have clarified the organisation's true nature and objectives to officials of other countries, with ongoing initiatives.

Thanks to these efforts, a total of 136 individuals from 31 countries have been extradited to Türkiye or deported from their host countries.

Determined fight

Yerlikaya stressed the crucial and prioritised stance of resolutely combating terrorism, regardless of the group involved, in Türkiye's long-standing fight against terrorism.

He underscored the ongoing, relentless fight against FETO, noting that it has led to the exposure of many tactics and methods of the group, with legal actions taken against individuals involved.

Yerlikaya said many of FETO's attempts have been unsuccessful and its members have been apprehended based on their findings.

He added: "Our law enforcement units, acting as an intelligence organization in combating FETO, share and coordinate their findings and methods effectively."

"Under the leadership of our president, our cherished nation stood firm against tanks and deadly weapons. I want our people to know that no terrorist group, regardless of its name, will ever shake the unity, brotherhood, and indivisible integrity of this nation," Yerlikaya said.