Turkish authorities capture fugitive linked to FETO terrorist’s escape in Istanbul
Adil Oksuz, the key figure of the coup, is still on the wanted-list. (Photo via Haber Alternatif)
Turkish authorities arrested Cihat Yildiz, a Gulenist Terror Group (FETO) fugitive accused of helping Adil Oksuz, a key figure in the July 15 coup attempt Adil Oksuz, flee abroad.
Yildiz, FETO provincial head for Amasya, had been on the run for eight years.
He was captured alongside Ahmet H. and Adem B., the latter a former major in the Turkish Air Force dismissed for FETO ties, following a police chase in Beylikduzu.
The suspects were found to be actively involved in FETO’s operations, including organizing safe houses and coordinating the escape of FETO members abroad.
Yildiz reportedly stayed in a house in Uskudar with Oksuz for about a week before Oksuz fled the country. Yildiz and another FETO member are said to have assisted Oksuz in his escape.
General Manager in Air Force Academy
Yildiz, who previously served as General Manager within FETO’s Air Force Academy network, was known to use FETO’s encrypted messaging app, ByLock and operated under various code names.
Despite being a fugitive, he played a significant role in FETO’s current organizational structure, managing safe houses and facilitating escapes for other members.
FETO has clandestinely conducted its activities in Türkiye since the 1960s, culminating in the coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which resulted in the death of 252 people and left 2,735 others injured.
The attempt was foiled by a rare instance of public resistance to putschists. Since 2016, FETO has been recognized as a terrorist organization by the likes of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Pakistan.
The group’s leader, Fetullah Gulen, resides in the United States with talks of extradition still ongoing.
