Turkey's Defense Ministry announced Thursday that border troops captured Sümeyye Gülen, nephew of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) leader Fetullah Gülen, on the border with Greece.
Sümeyye Gülen was among the 10 people trying to sneak into Greece. The ministry said four in the group were also members of the terrorist group. Captured suspects were identified as a former judge and a teacher linked to FETÖ and others with ties to the group. Five others were associated with the PKK terrorist group.
Sümeyye Gülen was released from a trial over her links to the terrorist group but the court imposed a judiciary control measure on her. Judiciary control requires a person to report to a nearby police station regularly and sometimes involves a travel ban or house arrest.
Fetullah Gülen hails from a large family and a number of his nephews have been detained and sentenced in cases related to the terrorist group.
Turkish authorities have stepped up investigations into the wrongdoings of FETÖ in the aftermath of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by military infiltrators of the terrorist group which killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others. In the aftermath of failed putsch bid, members of the terrorist group sought to escape prosecution, by fleeing abroad or hiding in the group's safe houses across Turkey. Still, tens of thousands of people were detained or arrested by the security forces since 2016.
Greece has been the favorite gateway for suspects linked to the group, though most prefer land routes in Turkey's northwest. The European country attracted more FETÖ fugitives after it refused to extradite soldiers involved in the 2016 coup attempt to Turkey after they hijacked a military helicopter and took shelter in Greece.
Over 8,000 FETÖ members have crossed into Greece in the past four years, according to authorities. Ankara has criticized the country for ignoring its calls for international cooperation against the terrorist group.
