An Analysis of Türkiye’s Fight Against FETÖ on the 9th Anniversary of the July 15, 2016 Coup Attempt

Abstract

The Republic of Türkiye was subjected to a brutal coup attempt, unprecedented in Turkish political history, on Friday, July 15, 2016, at around 22.00. Unfortunately, the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), which has for many years nucleated within the main institutions of the state, particularly the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), the judiciary and the security bureaucracy, attempted a coup. A group of soldiers, led by the ringleader Fethullah Gülen, attempted to overthrow the legitimate elected government. The TAF was tried to be used as a striking wing of the FETO organization in the failed coup attempt. On July 15, 2016, at 22.00, fighter jets bombed civilian citizens and the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), major routes, especially the Bosphorus Bridge, were occupied, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was subjected to an assassination attempt. The coup attempt of July 15, 2016, was eliminated thanks to the tactical mistakes of the coup plotters, the resistance of the citizens, the determined stance of civil politics and the support of media organs. As a result, 246 Turkish citizens, including 179 civilians, 62 police officers, and 5 soldiers, lost their lives, and thousands of the citizens were injured. This study was prepared for the 9th anniversary of the coup attempt and to academically analyze such a major social event. The study initially focused on the sources of the terrorist organization’s ringleader Fethullah Gülen, then on FETO's structure, its formation, the process that paved the way for the militant mass of followers, and the coup attempt of July 15, 2016. Finally, the events on the day of the coup attempt and the control of the process were mentioned. Thus, it will contribute to a better examination of a social event that has gained a place in the academic literature.