Türkiye Arrests 968 Suspects During 10th Anniversary Coup Commemorations

Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of 968 suspects on July 13, 2026, as part of a nationwide sweep termed the great purification campaign. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government launched the operation to root out the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which they blame for the failed July 15, 2016, coup attempt. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek and Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated that the survival of the state remains under threat from the network.

The arrests coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 2016 putsch, commemorated under the theme Our Will, Our Victory. During that event, rogue military factions used tanks and fighter jets to attack government buildings in Ankara and Istanbul, resulting in approximately 250 deaths and over 2,000 injuries. The government maintains the plot was orchestrated by the late Fethullah Gulen, who died in October 2024, and his followers.

Following the 2016 attempt, the government declared a two-year state of emergency and purged hundreds of thousands of people from the military, judiciary, and education sectors. This period allowed the administration to transition the country from a parliamentary system to a presidential regime. Current commemorations include a parliamentary ceremony and a memorial march across the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in Istanbul.