Detention warrants issued for 25 over FETÖ infiltration of Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

Turkish prosecutors have issued detention warrants for 25 suspects in an investigation targeting the clandestine network of the FETÖ terrorist organization within the Foreign Ministry, authorities said on July 8. 

According to a statement from the chief public prosecutor’s office in Ankara, the suspects are believed to have been part of FETÖ’s covert structure inside the ministry.

The investigation uncovered that some had used ByLock, an encrypted messaging app associated with the group, and were contacted in succession via payphones, a method commonly linked to the organization’s communication tactics.

Witness testimonies also supported claims that the suspects were affiliated with FETÖ.

Among the suspects are 19 individuals previously dismissed from the ministry due to alleged ties to the group, four current employees, and two others working in separate institutions.

The suspects are being sought in operations coordinated by Ankara and spanning eight provinces.

Foreign Ministry sources said the investigation was carried out in coordination with the Justice Ministry, emphasizing that the suspects were identified through months of detailed intelligence work.

They reiterated Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to combat FETÖ both at home and abroad.

FETÖ orchestrated the failed coup attempt in Türkiye in 2016.

The terrorist organization had systematically infiltrated key state institutions, embedding its members in influential positions.

Following the coup attempt, tens of thousands of suspected members were dismissed or arrested in a nationwide crackdown.