The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched the operation against suspected members of an outlawed organization within the Turkish Armed Forces. The 63 military personnel under investigation include eight from the Air Force Command, 13 from the Gendarmerie General Command, 36 from the Land Forces Command, and six from the Naval Forces Command. Among them are 4 Colonels, 8 Lieutenant Colonels, 12 Majors, 15 Captains, and 24 Non-commissioned Officers/Specialist Sergeants.
During yesterday morning's operation, 59 military personnel were detained while efforts continued to apprehend the remaining four suspects. Interrogations of those in custody are ongoing.
In a written statement, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the number of unidentified organization members within the Turkish Armed Forces is believed to be greater than those who participated in the July 15 coup attempt. The statement described this organization as "still the terrorist organization posing the greatest danger to the constitutional order and survival of the state."
The prosecutor's office highlighted their most effective investigation method for identifying infiltrators: tracking communication patterns through "prepaid phone lines installed in kiosks, markets, bill payment centers, and similar places, as well as payphones in public areas" that are used by civilian handlers to contact military personnel in a manner consistent with organizational communication protocols.
The operation underscores ongoing concerns about internal security threats within Turkey's military institutions nearly nine years after the failed coup attempt.
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