Turkish justice minister warns of fresh FETÖ threat

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek emphasized that the death of its ringleader Fetullah Gülen was not an end for Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the group was trying to cover up its tracks while attempting to revive, reinvent itself through front companies and social media groups while kept its financial network alive.

Gürlek spoke to the Sabah newspaper ahead of the 10th anniversary of July 15 coup attempt which was foiled at the cost of more than 250 civilian lives. Gürlek, who was appointed as justice minister in February, was a judge in Istanbul at the time of the coup attempt. During his pre-ministry career, Gürlek handled several FETÖ-related cases.

The minister told Sabah that the fight against FETÖ was not simply a criminal proceeding but a “Great Cleansing of the State,” referring to the terrorist group’s widespread infiltration into state agencies. FETÖ is accused of infiltrating its members into the judiciary, law enforcement, the army and other key institutions, something that facilitated its 2016 attempt. Before the 2016 coup attempt, authorities have been working on the expulsion of FETÖ-linked people working in the state institutions and managed to weed out hundreds. This process sped up after the coup attempt, which killed 252 people and injured 2,740 others.

Resistance against the coup was unprecedented in the history of modern Türkiye, which was stained with multiple coups. Gürlek defines it as one of the most glorious days for the Turkish nation. “People’s unity reflected the words of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: ‘I recognize no authority above the will of the nation,’” Gürlek says.

Unlike other terrorist groups, which often resort solely to terror attacks like bombings, FETÖ cultivated a sinister plot to take over the state over decades, skillfully having its infiltrators blending with ordinary people. Gürlek terms it as “next-generation espionage network that uses state’s power against state itself.” “They did not turn to arming themselves and openly declaring a fight against (Türkiye). Instead, they created a complex network benefiting from the state’s own power. We are talking about a network exploiting religious values, creating secret cells unaware of each other and having members leading double lives to hide their loyalty to the group,” he said.

Gürlek noted that up until July 15, 2016, the group did not disclose how it can turn into an armed force. “They are a network of professionals who posed as legitimate people. Coupled with their international network, it is safe to say that they are both a terrorist group and an espionage network,” he said.

The minister stated that the October 2024 death of FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen “definitely does not mean that the threat is gone.” “As our president earlier said, FETÖ is not simply a terrorist group devoted to its leader. It is the tentacles of a global (threat). Although our state dealt a major blow to this sinister network, it still seeks to keep itself alive with its fugitive members abroad. Currently, they are working to revive their networks and financial sources. Our assessment is that they are trying to establish new contacts, especially through commercial activities. They set up front companies, and they hide themselves among other social groups. Those abroad cooperate with anti-Turkish lobbies and carry out a campaign of disinformation online. ‘Crypto’ members of the group remain that way and are seeking to find secret financial resources,” he warned.

Gürlek also said that they would remain vigilant till “the full cleaning.” “We are committed to fight against FETÖ and we will not rest,” he said.

Gürlek pointed out that a total of 1,065 operations were carried out against FETÖ by security forces in the first six months of 2026 and 2,451 suspects were detained. He stated that since FETÖ was designed as a terror threat shortly after its first coup attempts in 2013, authorities launched criminal proceedings against 720,338 people and 636,934 among them were either convicted or acquitted. He noted that 127,102 suspects, among them were convicted of various crimes. He noted that investigations and trials were still underway for another 83,404 suspects in investigations focused on FETÖ.

Separately, Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, announced on Sunday that they prevented access to 2,702 social media accounts linked to FETÖ in the past month. In a social media post, Duran said that the directorate was in coordination with relevant agencies for comprehensive digital surveillance and analysis against FETÖ.

“The digital domain is an integral part of our national security. Under no circumstances will terrorist groups be allowed to use social media and digital platforms for propaganda, recruitment, financing, disinformation, or psychological operations. We will continue to closely monitor the digital ecosystem in coordination with all relevant institutions, swiftly identify and take the necessary measures against any threats targeting our national security, and ensure that our citizens have access to accurate information to counter disinformation,” he said.

DAILYSABAH