Turkish authorities arrested 158 active-duty military personnel on Tuesday, including 11 colonels and 47 majors, as part of an ongoing crackdown targeting alleged followers of the late cleric Fethullah Gülen. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated the suspects were detained across 41 provinces for reportedly using payphones and fixed lines to communicate in a manner "consistent with Gülen movement practices". Warrants remain active for additional suspects, mainly from the army.
The operation extends Turkey’s decade-long purge following the failed 2016 coup, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed on Gülen. Authorities have now detained nearly 26,000 people tied to Gülen’s Hizmet (Service) movement, with over 9,000 currently jailed. The government designates the movement as the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation" (FETÖ), accusing it of infiltrating state institutions to create a "parallel structure". Gülen, who died in Pennsylvania in 2024, consistently denied involvement in the coup.
Investigators focused on communication patterns, claiming suspects employed encrypted methods to evade detection. The detentions reflect a systematic approach: in May, 62 officers were arrested similarly, while past trials have issued over 2,500 life sentences, including for military pilots who bombed parliament in 2016. Since the coup attempt, approximately 24,706 military personnel and 130,000 public servants have been purged.
Human rights groups condemn the purges as politically motivated. The UN and European institutions highlight that dismissals often rely on profiling software like "Fetometre" rather than evidence. Purged individuals face social and economic exclusion, with seized businesses valued at up to $60 billion. Despite Gülen’s death, Erdoğan’s government vows to continue "eradicating FETÖ’s remnants".