Türkiye captures FETO terrorist wanted for 2016 attempt to assassinate president

Turkish police have captured a member of the terrorist group FETO wanted for the attempted assassination of the president during the 2016 defeated coup, the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

The suspect, identified by the initials B.K., was part of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) unit involved in an attempt to assassinate Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Marmaris during the July 2016 coup bid, the ministry said.

The ministry said the suspect was a dismissed army captain and former helicopter pilot who was wanted under an Interpol Red Notice.

Police intelligence units in the provinces of Afyonkarahisar and Eskisehir carried out a joint operation coordinated by the Security Directorate’s Intelligence Department, according to the ministry.

The operation located the suspect, identified as B.K., who was then captured by counterterrorism police in Afyonkarahisar, the ministry said.

The ministry said Türkiye would continue its fight against FETO and its structures.

The defeated coup attempt, in which 253 people were killed and 2,734 were wounded, was plotted and carried out by FETO under its ringleader, Fetullah Gulen.