ISTANBUL — The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for 63 active-duty military personnel accused of links to the Gülen movement, which Ankara blames for the July 2016 failed coup attempt

According to a statement released, simultaneous operations were carried out across 36 provinces, resulting in the detention of 56 suspects.

Among those detained are four colonels, as well as officers from the Turkish land, naval, and air forces and the gendarmerie.

The prosecutor's office said that the suspects include eight personnel from the air force, 13 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 36 from the land forces, and six from the navy.

The detainees comprise four colonels, eight lieutenant colonels, 12 majors, 15 captains, and 24 non-commissioned officers.

The statement alleges that these individuals have ties to the group founded by cleric Fethullah Gülen, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States from 1999 until his death in October 2024.

The group is accused by Turkish authorities of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt, which claimed the lives of around 290 people.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement: "The arrest and detention of 63 suspects in Istanbul and 35 other cities was launched simultaneously at 6 am today (5 am CEST), in accordance with instructions given to the Istanbul Police Anti-Terror Branch Directorate. We will keep you informed of further developments."

On the evening of 15 July 2016, military units loyal to the plotters launched an attempted coup d'état and took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, bombing government buildings including the Turkish Parliament and the presidential palace.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on holiday in Marmaris at the time.

Several senior officials, including then Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and General Yaşar Güler (now Defence Minister), were taken hostage.

In Friday's statement, the prosecutor's office said the suspects had been identified through telephone communication records.

The statement described the Gülen movement as "the biggest threat to the constitutional order and survival of the state," and claimed that the number of undetected military personnel affiliated with the organization exceeded those who actively participated in the coup.

Although specific charges were not detailed, the prosecutor's office noted that around 25,800 military personnel have been detained in connection with the failed coup attempt since 2016.

The Gülen movement — officially referred to by the government as the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation/Parallel State Structure" (FETÖ/PDY) — has long been accused of establishing a clandestine network within state institutions, including the judiciary, police and military.

The group has been implicated in various criminal activities, including leaking university entrance exam questions and orchestrating the assassination of academic Necip Hablemitoğlu.

It is also accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Hrant Dink and other serious crimes.

The first legal case against the organization was filed in 1999. The indictment accused Gülen and his followers of trying to create "an illegal organization with the aim of establishing a state based on Islamic principles by changing the constitutional system."

Although originally Gülen was considered a friend and supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tensions between the Gülen movement and the ruling AK Party escalated significantly in 2013 during a corruption investigation, dubbed by critics as a coup attempt, led by prosecutors allegedly linked to the group.

Following the 2016 coup attempt, further crackdowns took place under a state of emergency, and many individuals were dismissed via emergency decrees.

Critics have raised concerns over inconsistencies in the enforcement of justice. While some high-profile businessmen with alleged ties to the movement have avoided prison, many low-level affiliates were jailed or lost their jobs.

Former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar claimed that a "FETÖ stock exchange" operated during the purges, where businessmen could allegedly avoid prosecution by paying bribes.

"There are millions of dollars involved," Tayyar said.

"They’re releasing businessmen under the guise of being informants. This is happening all over Turkey." — Euronews