Turkey’s struggle against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) has netted thousands of members since it tried to seize power with a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are at the center of the struggle. A spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that 24,387 members of the TSK were sacked since the coup attempt for possible ties to the group while administrative inquiries are underway for 781 others.

Capt. Burcu Naliç Yokuva told reporters at a press briefing in the western province of Izmir that they were working to stamp out terrorist groups, including FETÖ, the PKK and Daesh, adding that they were pursuing a "decisive fight" against FETÖ "in light of new information and evidence."

She said that between Jan.1 and June 3, 2022, 428 personnel were expelled from the TSK, 258 retired personnel had their ranks stripped for links to FETÖ, 249 investigated for links had their posts reinstated after they were cleared and 22 retired personnel were reinstated their ranks. "Our fight will continue until the last personnel affiliated to FETÖ is dealt with," she said.

The terrorist group, which had infiltrators in law enforcement, the judiciary and the bureaucracy, still has backers in the army ranks, though they managed to disguise their loyalty, as operations and investigations since the coup attempt indicated.

According to an investigation by Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which was made public in December 2020, the terrorist group began infiltrating the TSK more than four decades ago. Based on a report prepared by Gendarmerie Command, the report says 22 of 239 students who graduated from military schools between the 1970s and 1990s were charged with involvement in the 2016 coup attempt, while 58 others were investigated for being a member of FETÖ following the failed putsch bid. While the students discharged from military schools could not continue carrying out their missions in the army, they still aided FETÖ's attempts by offering insight into the military's workings, playing an "active role" in establishing the hidden network inside the TSK, the report says.

FETÖ – led by Fetullah Gülen, who currently lives in the United States and is implicated in a long list of trials against the terrorist group – orchestrated the coup attempt with the aid of its military infiltrators and civilian members of the group who were in charge of those infiltrators.

Known for its secretive methods of communication, the group utilized everything from in-game chats in mobile games to payphones to convey messages between its members while avoiding suspicion.

On Tuesday, authorities captured more members of the terrorist group in the army. One operation based in Istanbul and conducted in eight other provinces led to the arrests of eight suspects. Among them were active-duty soldiers, including four captains, three first lieutenants and seven noncommissioned officers. Others were former cadets and civilians linked to FETÖ.

Another operation based in Istanbul sought the arrest of 52 suspects and so far, 36 have been captured in operations across the country. Suspects include serving and former officers from all branches of the TSK. They were implicated in the investigation for their links to civilian handlers of the terrorist group by using public payphones to arrange secret meetings. Some of the suspects were identified through testimonies of former members of FETÖ who collaborated with authorities in exchange for lenient prison terms.

After the coup attempt was quelled, Turkey acted swiftly to bring perpetrators to justice, although some managed to flee abroad. The Turkish judiciary has managed to wrap up 289 trials against the putschists, sentencing 4,891 defendants. The lengthy appeals process has also concluded, with most trials seeking to overturn verdicts still playing out before higher courts. Authorities have set up new courts and massive prison complexes that also include spacious courtrooms in the aftermath of the putsch bid for coup-related trials. Although most military officers who took part in the coup bid were sentenced, the "civilian" members of FETÖ remain more elusive. Only a few were caught red-handed during the attempt, including executives and staff of a FETÖ-linked company who were apparently helping the putschists since they were caught at the Akıncı base when the attempt was quelled.