Terrorism in Turkey

Ogün Samast, the murderer of Armenian-origin journalist Hrant Dink, testified for the first time in the ongoing case during a hearing yesterday, shedding light on the web of events surrounding the assassination.

Samast, who recently served nearly 17 years in prison for the 2007 murder, faces new charges allegedly tied to FETÖ, the group blamed for the 2016 coup attempt.

The police apprehended 40 individuals believed to have links to an attempted terrorist attack on an Istanbul courthouse, resulting in the death of a woman, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

The man convicted for the assassination of prominent journalist Hrant Dink has been released as he met the conditions for parole after more than 16 years in prison.

Photo: Sam McGhee/Unsplash.com

The threats were sent from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from Turkey, on June 28, and since then, after BIRN published an investigation into the Grey Wolves organisation's branch and its activities in Bosnia.

Kuloglija and Buyuk continued to receive messages on their phones with intimidating content after the publication of the article.

Cakalli is the founder of an informal Bosnian branch of a Turkish far-right group known as the Grey Wolves (Bozkurtlar), some of whose members support neo-fascist ideas. The Grey Wolves are officially called Idealist Hearths (Ulku Ocaklari) and their organisation is affiliated with the far-right Nationalist Movement Party, MHP, which is an ally of the Turkish ruling party.

A Turkish court has sentenced leaders of the attempted coup in 2016 to life imprisonment, convicting hundreds of army officers, pilots and civilians over the failed effort to overthrow President Recep Erdogan.

Turkish prosecutors issued detention warrants on Feb. 18 for 228 people with suspected links to the FETÖ, said security sources.

Turkey's domestic agenda has recently been occupied with a debate on investigating the political establishment of FETÖ, the group behind the defeated coup attempt of 2016 that has also been accused of infiltrating state institutions.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has called for establishing a research commission in parliament to uncover the political establishment of FETÖ, the group that orchestrated the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

The CHP, which said the 15 July Coup Investigation Commission established earlier in parliament was inadequate, took action to establish a new commission.

Turkish prosecutors issued detention warrants for 30 suspects on Dec. 24 over links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, security sources said.