Turkey: Counter-terrorism raids Oct. 26

Event

According to state-run media, Turkish police will carry out a series of raids in 30 provinces on Thursday, October 26, in a bid to capture 121 former foreign ministry staff, allegedly connected to Fethullah Gülen - the key suspect in the 2016 failed coup d’état and leader of the Gülen movement. According to the source, the 121 ministry personnel were identified after using the movement’s encrypted messaging application “ByLock.”

Context

Critics have denounced the increasing government crackdown on political opponents and/or dissenting voices as current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to use the July 2016 failed coup to justify the expansion of his powers and the country’s prolonged state of emergency.

The Gülen movement, referred to by the Turkish government as the “Fethullahist Terror Organization” (FETÖ), has been held responsible for the 2016 coup d’état against the Erdogan government. Since, any affiliation with the movement has been cause for arrest or loss of employment. Since the July 2016 coup, some 50,000 people have been arrested, including journalists, public servants, and human rights activists, and a further 140,000 have lost their jobs.

Advice

All those present in Turkey are advised to monitor developments to the situation and avoid any areas where operations are taking place.