While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared calm and cordial during the NATO summit in The Hague, where he was seen with US President Donald Trump, things back home in Turkey paint a very different picture. Erdogan’s government has launched another major crackdown on the military and police, highlighting his ongoing fear of a potential coup—nearly a decade after the failed attempt in 2016.

What Happened?

According to Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu, the Turkish government has detained 182 individuals, most of them senior military and police officers, for alleged ties to the banned Gulen movement—a group Ankara accuses of plotting the 2016 coup.

• Raids were conducted across 43 provinces, including Istanbul and Izmir.

• 163 suspects have already been arrested out of 176 with active warrants.

• Those detained include officers with ranks like Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, and Captain.

• In a separate raid, 21 people (13 current and 6 former police officers) were also arrested.

The accused were allegedly communicating through public telephone booths, a method Turkish intelligence claims is often used by members of the Gulen network to avoid surveillance.

What is the Gulen Movement?

The Gulen Movement, also known as Hizmet ("Service"), is a transnational Islamic-social movement led by Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who lived in self-imposed exile in the US until his death in 2024.

• Once praised for educational and welfare efforts, the group is now declared a terrorist organization (FETO) by the Turkish state.

• Erdogan blames the group for orchestrating the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, which led to over 300 deaths.

• Despite Turkey's claims, the US, EU, and most international bodies do not consider the movement a terror outfit.

Crackdown or Power Play?

Since 2016, Erdogan’s government has launched an unrelenting purge:

• Over 700,000 people have been investigated.

• More than 13,000 are still in prison.

• 24,000+ military officers have been removed from service.

Critics say that Erdogan is using the Gulen narrative as a tool to suppress dissent, weaken the military’s independence, and consolidate his hold on power—especially as economic instability and political opposition grow within Turkey.

Why Now?

• With Erdogan seen cozying up to Western leaders at NATO, the fresh arrests back home signal insecurity, not stability.

• Gulen’s death in 2024 was expected to slow down this campaign, but the opposite has happened.

• Analysts believe Erdogan fears that the military's loyalty remains questionable, and another challenge to his rule could be brewing.

• These arrests may also be a warning shot to political rivals and internal dissenters.