Turkish intelligence nabs, repatriates wanted FETO fugitive

Turkish intelligence has brought a wanted fugitive member of the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) back to Türkiye after they captured him abroad, security sources said.

FETO fugitive Koray Vural was arrested in Tajikistan, where he went under the instructions of the terror group and worked in organising its activities in Central Asia, sources said on Thursday speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

It was found that Vural frequently went to Pennsylvania, United States, during his stay in Tajikistan to receive instructions from FETO leader Fetullah Gulen.

He had also made plans to flee Tajikistan after Emsal Koc, another fugitive FETO member, was brought to Türkiye, the sources added.

Defeated coup of July 15

Vural was on the orange category of the Turkish Interior Ministry's colour-coded list of wanted terrorists for being a member of FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye.

The ministry’s list of wanted terrorists is divided into five categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange, and grey.

FETO and its US-based ringleader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded.

The group was also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.