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Authorities launched sweeping operations Tuesday targeting the financial network of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), issuing detention orders for 371 suspects in an Izmir-based operation spanning 60 provinces, with 231 suspects detained in the raids.
According to the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation uncovered a scheme in which funds were collected under the guise of food sales and allegedly funneled to FETO affiliates domestically and abroad. The funds were then distributed as "food parcels" to members of the group.
The operation was reportedly carried out by counterterrorism and intelligence units under the coordination of the Izmir Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
Police teams launched simultaneous operations across 60 provinces in morning hours, detaining 231 suspects. The investigation determined 79 suspects were abroad, with efforts continuing to apprehend 61 remaining suspects.
A suspect detained in a previous operation who sold food through social media in Izmir led to the exposure of FETO's illegal financial system through ongoing surveillance. The illegal system determined who funds would be collected from and who would receive financing, operated through suspects in the United States and domestically.
Account activity totaling approximately ₺7.5 million ($186,429) was detected through this illegal system, including fugitive organization members in North America, the Balkans, and European countries.
Separately, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday that detention orders had been issued for 14 individuals suspected of cheating in entrance exams for the Faculty of Security Sciences in 2010 and 2011.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, the suspects allegedly accessed exam questions in advance and distributed them to other FETO members.
The investigation, led by the Bureau of Terror Crimes, confirmed through expert reports and witness statements that the suspects benefited from the leaked questions. Arrest operations were launched across seven provinces.
In another case, 51 suspects were detained in an Istanbul-based operation across 15 provinces on the same day. The operation targeted FETO’s current organizational structure, which authorities say includes a regional hierarchy and continued recruitment activities.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that suspects organized meetings and charity events, including sacrificial offerings, to reinforce loyalty to the group and recruit new members.
Meetings were reportedly held regularly via video conference or at designated addresses in Istanbul. Instructions from senior members were allegedly transmitted hierarchically during these gatherings.
Authorities issued arrest warrants for 63 suspects. Of those, 51 were detained and five were found to have fled abroad. Security forces also seized over €17,000 ($19,860), $6,500, ₺138,000 ($3,430), banned publications associated with FETO's U.S.-based ringleader, and numerous digital devices.
In a separate financial probe, Turkish authorities conducted coordinated operations in nine provinces targeting FETO's current financial structure on Tuesday.
According to intelligence sources, Z.D., owner of the national supermarket chains HAKMAR and TATBAK with approximately 800 branches, was detained alongside 25 others.
Z.D. allegedly transferred funds to FETO affiliates under the directive of the group’s overseas leadership and publicly declared, "Even if I lose my fortune, it’s worth it for Fetullah Gulen."
Authorities report that Z.D. employed known FETO sympathizers and members at his businesses and used company resources to collect donations under the guise of religious obligations and newspaper subscriptions.
The investigation also targeted C.G., a former police officer dismissed from service, who reportedly worked illegally for HAKMAR and distributed cash aid to FETO members across Türkiye.
During raids at HAKMAR’s headquarters in Sancaktepe, Istanbul, authorities discovered high-security areas and encrypted rooms used for organizational meetings. As a result, trustees were appointed to HAKMAR and TATBAK over evidence of financial ties to the terrorist organization.
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