ISTANBUL, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- A high-profile suspect linked to the Gulen movement, believed to be behind the 2016 coup attempt, was detained in Istanbul on Tuesday following a joint operation by police and intelligence units, authorities said.
The suspect, identified as Bedrettin Gunebakmaz, was on the Interior Ministry's "wanted terrorists" list and held a senior role within the movement's naval network, according to the Istanbul Police Department.
Gunebakmaz was located through technical and physical surveillance before being apprehended in the Uskudar district on the city's Asian side. Authorities noted that he had taken extensive measures to conceal his identity, including registering rental agreements and utilities under false names and using caps, beanies, and glasses to evade security cameras.
Officials added that the suspect had used encrypted communication applications and maintained foreign financial accounts linked to the organization. He has been taken into custody for further investigation as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle Gulen movement networks in Türkiye, the statement said.
The Turkish government blames Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who lived in self-exile in the United States from 1999 until his death in 2024, for orchestrating the failed coup attempt in July 2016, which left at least 250 people dead and around 2,200 injured. Türkiye has designated the Gulen movement as a terrorist organization. ■
