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The new Turkey
Timeline Gulen movement/FETÖ November 2018

January	February	March	April
May	June	June	August
September	October	November	December

1 - 10 November

Date:*
1	Arrest warrants issued for 30 FETÖ suspects in the army The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the capital Ankara issued arrest warrants for 30 suspects in an investigation into Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) infiltrators in the Turkish Armed Forces. Suspects include four colonels and officers from lower ranks. Twelve were serving officers while the others were dismissed from their jobs earlier for suspicion of membership of the terrorist organization. All were military personnel of the Maritime Forces Command of the Turkish military.
2	Detention warrants issued for 50 people over Gülen links The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday issued detention warrants for 50 people as part of a crackdown on the faith-based Gülen movement, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. According to the statement from the prosecutor’s office, these people were allegedly using ByLock, a smartphone application that is regarded by Turkish authorities as a secret communication tool among the followers of the movement. Twenty-seven people, including teachers and lawyers, were detained during police operations in eight provinces.
5	Detention warrants issued for 26 Turkish Land Forces personnel over Gülen links The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday issued detention warrants for 26 members of the Turkish Land Forces as part of a post-coup crackdown on followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. According to a statement issued by the prosecutor’s office, 25 noncommissioned officers and one lieutenant were accused of secretly communicating via pay phone. Police detained 20 of those being sought in raids in 14 provinces.
5	Turkey detains 505 people over Gülen links in past week Turkish police detained 505 people between Oct. 29 and Nov. 5 as part of its post-coup crackdown targeting followers of the Gülen movement, according to a statement by the Turkish Interior Ministry on Monday. A total of 19,708 people had been detained over Gülen links by the end of September, the statement added. Since then, some 140,000 public servants have been dismissed by government decrees and more than 600,000 people investigated on terrorism charges.
5	20 military officers detained for FETÖ links Twenty military officers, including non-commissioned officers and a lieutenant, were detained yesterday in nationwide operations against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). The suspects, all active-duty officers, were members of the Land Forces Command of the Turkish army. They were among 26 suspects wanted by the Chief Prosecutor's Office in the capital Ankara. Operations were underway to capture the remaining suspects.
6	Sports presenter given 6-year jail sentence due to alleged Gülen links Sports presenter Yasir Kaya has been handed down a prison sentence of six years, three months on charges of membership in a terrorist organization due to his alleged links to the Gülen movement, the Anadolu news agency reported. Kaya, who used to work for TV stations such as CNN Türk and FB TV, was arrested in August 2017 as part of an investigation overseen by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the Gülen movement, which is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement strongly denies any involvement in the abortive putsch. Kaya was released pending trial in March 2018. He was facing a jail sentence of between seven-and-a-half- and 15 years on charges of being terrorist organization membership.
7	Former Istanbul governor starts sentence over FETÖ links Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, the former governor of Istanbul whose sentence was upheld by a court over helping the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), turned himself in and started his three-year sentence yesterday. Mutlu, who was among defendants accused of being one of FETÖ's infiltrators in governors' offices, was sentenced in February for aiding the terrorist organization "intentionally" though it ruled out that the governor was an active member of the group that is blamed for July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Accompanied by his lawyer, Mutlu arrived at a prison in Edirne, a city west of Istanbul, where he will serve his sentence after a higher court upheld his sentence. Mutlu, who was detained after the 2016 coup attempt, initially faced charges of membership in a terrorist group and attempting to overthrow Turkey's government. Mutlu served as governor of Istanbul from 2010 to 2014, after which he took a post with the Interior Ministry as a civilian authority.
7	Turkey seeks extradition of top FETÖ member from Armenia Turkish prosecutors have sent an extradition request to Armenia yesterday for Kemal Öksüz, a prominent member of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) who is wanted by the United States on fraud charges. The extradition request says Öksüz, who was captured in Armenia in August, smuggled about $3 million abroad in three years and includes testimony of his brother who described Öksüz's activities as a FETÖ member.
9	74 on-duty soldiers arrested in FETÖ probe A t least 74 on-duty soldiers have been arrested across Turkey as part of a probe into the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt, judicial sources announced on Friday. The arrests come after the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 103 active soldiers, including colonels, lieutenant colonels and commanders, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. Police conducted simultaneous operations in 32 provinces, including Istanbul, to nab the suspects that were accused of communicating with other suspected FETÖ members over pay phones and landline telephones. The search for a number of other suspects is still underway.
10	4 on-duty soldiers arrested in FETO probe Security forces on Saturday arrested four suspects in southwestern Turkey over alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). The on-duty soldiers -- two sergeants, a lieutenant and junior grade lieutenant -- were arrested in Mugla province for allegedly using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone app used by FETO members. The arrests came after the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 26 suspects on Nov. 6 for allegedly using the encrypted smartphone app.
* The date the source published the article.

11 - 20 November

Date:*
11	FETÖ's judges set to self-destruct A former judge fired for links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) told fellow members that he had self-destructed, like the devises on the Mission Impossible movies, for ordering the release of three officers tied to the same terrorist group. Habil Kahraman, who used to work as a judge in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, ordered the release of three FETÖ-linked police officers in 2015. The judge was dismissed from the profession by the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges (HSYK) for conduct unbecoming his position on Jan 21, 2016. The trial for his links to FETÖ started recently at the Supreme Court of Appeals 16th Bureau. The indictment includes a message by Kahraman on the encrypted communication platform ByLock. Read more............
13	10 putschists face multiple life sentences for killings in Istanbul Another trial on the July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Istanbul nears the end as a prosecutor in "Çengelköy and Kuleli" case presented his final statement for 114 defendants yesterday. The prosecutor asked for jail terms adding up to more than 5,000 years for 10 defendants who were charged with their involvement in the failed coup and killing eight people, mostly those who confronted the putschists to convince them to end the attempt. The case involves incidents that unfolded in the neighborhood of Çengelköy, the Beykoz and Vaniköy districts and at Kuleli military school on Istanbul's Asian side during the coup attempt blamed on military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
14	Ex-lead columnist of FETÖ-run Zaman given 19 years in prison on terror charges The 2nd High Criminal Court in Turkey's western Uşak province on Wednesday handed down 19 years and six months in prison to the former flagship columnist of Zaman, the now-defunct mouthpiece of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 coup attempt. The Second High Criminal Court in Uşak, a western Anatolian province, handed down the jail term on charges of founding and managing an armed terrorist group to Ali Ünal, who was arrested on Aug. 11, 2016 following the July 15, 2016 failed putsch.
14	Turkey seeking extradition of 452 FETÖ suspects from 83 countries, FM Çavuşoğlu says Turkish officials announced Wednesday that Ankara sent extradition requests to 83 countries for 452 members of the terrorist group FETÖ which is blamed for the 2016 coup attempt; while 104 FETÖ members were brought to Turkey in the past two years from abroad Turkey's international fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) whose military infiltrators are accused of carrying out the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, prevails as Ankara patiently awaits extradition of the group's members from abroad. As part of efforts to bring the FETÖ network abroad to Turkey, authorities made extradition requests for 452 suspects from 83 countries, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said at a parliamentary meeting Wednesday.
16	218,000 people detained over Gulen links in Turkey so far: minister At total of 217,971 people in Turkey have been detained over their links to the Gulen movement so far, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Thursday. “62,730 (police) operations have been made against Gulenists as of today. …As a result of these operations, 217,971 people were detained,” Soylu told Parliament. He also added 16,684 people were convicted of Gulen links and another 14,758 people are currently behind bars pending trial over similar accusations. Turkey survived a military coup attempt on July 15 that killed over 240 people and wounded more than a thousand others. Already increasingly-authoritarian Turkish government has leveled up its crackdown against its critics since then with broad interpretation of its anti-terror laws. Gulenists, blamed for the coup despite their denial of involvement, became to the primary target of the crackdown. State-run Anadolu news agency said the number of people who were investigated over their alleged ties to the Gulen movement has hit 402,000 as of March, 2018. More than 150,000 people have lost their jobs, some 150,000 have passed through police custody and 60,000 were put in pretrial detention as part of post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulenists.
17	Anti-FETÖ ops target military officers, culprit in US Embassy attack The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara issued arrest warrants for 188 suspects and 86 were detained as of Friday, in the latest wave of nationwide operations against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Suspects include 100 members of the Turkish Air Force and 88 civilians. All are affiliated with Kemal Batmaz, a senior figure of the terrorist group who was captured at a military base in Ankara during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. Batmaz is accused of being the "Air Forces imam" or chief FETÖ handler responsible for infiltrators of the terrorist group in the military. Ersin Bayram, one of the suspects implicated in the investigation that led to Friday's operations, has already been jailed in an investigation into an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara in August. Read more.........
17	FETÖ-linked judges, prosecutors on trial for sham trial The trial of seven former judges and prosecutors for orchestrating sham trials on behalf of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) opened Friday in the capital Ankara. They are being tried by the Supreme Court for fabricating crimes and abuse of duty for their role in the notorious Ergenekon trial. "Ergenekon" was the alleged name of a secretive terrorist group in a sham case filed by FETÖ-linked prosecutors. The alleged group was "uncovered" in 2007 when weapons hidden in a house in Istanbul's Ümraniye district were discovered to be linked to the Ergenekon "terrorist group." What followed was a barrage of detentions that included everyone from veteran politician Doğu Perinçek to former army chief İlker Başbuğ, journalists Tuncay Özkan and Mustafa Balbay and other renowned figures. The defendants were held in custody for years before a final verdict in 2013 that sentenced them to various prison terms. In 2014, it was revealed that the trial was faulty, and the defendants were released. Further investigation showed the trial was based on false evidence and fabricated charges designed to imprison FETÖ critics, whose infiltrators have been charged for three separate coup attempts since 2013
20	Arrest warrants out for 195 FETO-linked suspects Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for 195 suspects across Turkey for their links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup. In simultaneous operations across 21 provinces based in Konya, central Anatolia, arrest warrants were issued for 50 suspects, including 40 active-duty soldiers and 22 air force staff, the provincial chief prosecutor’s office said. Meanwhile prosecutors in the capital Ankara issued arrest warrants for 92 suspects, including eight active-duty soldiers. Among them, 56 suspects were from the gendarmerie forces and 36 from the naval forces. Separately, after Istanbul prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 53 suspects for using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone messaging app used by FETO members, 37 of them were rounded up by anti-terror security forces.
20	Turkish court remands FETO-linked US deportee A Turkish court on Tuesday remanded in custody a former executive of a Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)-linked foundation in the U.S. Mehmet Salih Gozegir was deported from the U.S. after he was found guilty of sexual abuse of children. The Istanbul court remanded Gozegir in custody over "founding an armed terror group and managing it". According to the prosecutor, Gozegir confessed to meeting Ismail Buyukcelebi, who is seen as the potential successor to Fetullah Gulen.
20	486 people detained over Gülen links in past week. At least 486 people were detained as part of investigations into the Gülen movement over the past week, according to government data.
* The date the source published the article

21 - 30 November

Date:*
21	74 sentenced to life over FETÖ's 2016 coup attempt Some 74 defendants, all soldiers who joined the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment yesterday by a court in the capital Ankara. The defendants were deployed at the Fourth Army Corps, a large military unit stationed in a sprawling military base in the Ankara suburbs. They were accused of sending tanks and other military vehicles to aid putschists to capture a building that houses the Ankara branch of the Turkish National Police on July 15, 2016.
21	Turkish court sentences 74 to aggravated life on coup charges A court in Ankara on Wednesday convicted 74 people of involvement in a coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 and sentenced them to aggravated life, which carries no chance of parole. According to media reports, the suspects, the majority of whom are soldiers, were accused on the basis of their activities on the night of the coup at the 4th Army Corps and 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade. The aggravated life sentences were handed down by the Ankara 20th High Criminal Court for attempts to undermine the constitutional order.
21	Detention warrants issued for 48 in Turkey’s Bursa Turkish prosecutors have issued detention warrants for a total of 48 people in Bursa province as part of an investigation into the Gülen group on Nov 21. 20 of the suspects are accused of having used ByLock mobile app while the remaining are being sought over similar charges.
23	Turkish prosecutors issue detention warrants for 56 people over Gülen links Turkish prosecutors on Fridays issued detention warrants for 56 people as part of a post-coup crackdown targeting followers of the faith-based Gülen movement, the pro-government Sabah daily reported. The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 37 people, including military personnel and former servicemen, over alleged membership to the Gülen movement. According to the reports 26 of them were active-duty soldiers. Also the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday issued detention warrants for 19 people, including military personnel, over Gülen links. According to Sabah’s report 12 people were detained by the police.
23	Former university rector faces 15 years in prison on terror, coup charges An indictment against Professor Osman Şimşek, who used to be the rector of the Namık Kemal University in Tekirdağ, is seeking a jail sentence of up to 15 years for him on terrorism charges due to his alleged links to the Gülen group, the Diken news website reported on Wednesday. The Turkish government accuses the Gülen group of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and labels it a “terrorist organization,” although the movement denies involvement. Şimşek was detained as part of an investigation overseen by the Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in June and was subsequently released on judicial probation. The indictment against the rector has been completed and accepted by the Tekirdağ 3rd High Criminal Court, accusing Şimşek of aiding and abetting the Gülen group without being a member of it. The minimum jail sentence being sought for Şimşek is seven years.
24	Riot police detain 8 people over Gulen links in Turkey’s Erzurum At least 8 people were detained in an Erzurum-based operation carried out by riot police, state-run Anadolu news agency said Nov 21. Detention warrants were issued for 11 people who are accused of being “residents of the apartments, allegedly formed to resume coordination among Gulen movement followers and recruit new members after the failed coup attempt.” The investigation has spread to three other cities: Istanbul, Ankara and Denizli.
24	Daughter of imprisoned intelligence chief Fuat Yılmazer gets 7 years in prison on terror charges Fatma Saadet Yılmazer, the daughter of imprisoned intelligence chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer, has been given a prison sentence of 7 years, 6 months for her alleged links to Turkey’s Gülen group, the pro-government Akşam daily reported. Yılmazer is convicted of using ByLock and also depositing money in the Gülen-affiliated Bank Asya to help it survive in the wake of a government operation to sink the bank. Bank Asya was closed down by the government in the aftermath of the coup attempt due to its links to the Gülen group. ByLock is a smartphone application that is considered by Turkish authorities to be a communication tool among followers of the Gülen group, which is accused by the government of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
26	Turkey detains 585 people over Gülen links in past week Turkish police detained 585 people between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26 as part of its post-coup crackdown targeting followers of the Gülen movement, according to a statement by the Turkish Interior Ministry on Monday. Meanwhile, the Aksaray Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Monday issued detention warrants for seven people who were dismissed from military schools over Gülen links. Five of them have been detained by police thus far. Also 11 people were detained on Monday in Konya over their alleged affiliation with the Gülen movement. The Konya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 50 suspects on Nov. 20. An Ankara court on Monday arrested five Health Ministry staff members on charges of membership in a terrorist organization. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had issued detention warrants for 32 Health Ministry workers over Gülen links, nine of whom were detained by police. The remaining four were released on probation.
27	Deputy governor of Karabük province arrested over alleged Gülen links The deputy governor of the northwestern Turkish province of Karabük, Abdülhalim Can, who was detained on Sunday due to his alleged links to the Gülen movement, was arrested on Monday, the Turkish media reported. Can was arrested as part of an investigation overseen by the Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and was brought to Gaziantep following his detention. The deputy governor, who appeared before a judge on Monday, was sent to jail on terrorism charges. Can is accused of using ByLock, a smart phone application that Turkish authorities claim to be the top communication tool among alleged followers of the Gülen movement. Tens of thousands of people, including civil servants, police officers, soldiers, businessmen and even housewives, have either been dismissed or arrested for allegedly using ByLock since the failed coup.
27	Detention warrants issued for 82 soldiers from Turkish Air Forces The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday issued detention warrants for 82 active duty soldiers as part of a large number of investigations being conducted into real and perceived followers of the Gülen movement. According to a statement released by the prosecutor’s office, the warrants were issued for servicemen who are accused of having communicated with “imams” of the movement on public pay phones. Turkish authorities believe Gülen followers in the military and public agencies use pay phones as a means of communication among themselves, fearing that their mobile phones could be tapped.
29	Wives of 8 Gülen-linked suspects detained on allegations of terrorism The wives of eight men suspected of links to the Gülen movement were detained on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the faith-based group in Turkey’s Samsun province. Their husbands were previously arrested over Gülen links and allegations of infiltrating the police force. According to the Milliyet daily, some of the detainees had been briefly held on similar allegations, including using the ByLock smartphone application, having an account at Bank Asya and membership in a union that was affiliated with the movement. Turkish authorities believe ByLock is a communication tool among followers of the Gülen movement, accused of orchestrating a July 15, 2016 failed coup. The movement strongly denies any involvement.
29	Arrest warrants out for 27 FETÖ suspects Turkish prosecutors yesterday issued arrest warrants for 27 former and on-duty civil servants at the country's ministries for their links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which is blamed for the 2016 coup attempt. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in the capital Ankara issued arrest warrants for 23 former and four on-duty public employees for using ByLock, an encrypted smartphone messaging app used by FETÖ members. Among the suspects were 15 personnel of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, five personnel of the Energy Ministry and eight personnel from other public institutions. Police have rounded up 11 of the suspects so far in simultaneous operations in seven provinces across Turkey. They will be taken to the Ankara police headquarters.
* The date the source published the article

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