A pro-government Turkish news portal published a misleading report targeting followers of the Gulen movement who were detained following a massive police raid to several apartments, as part of a mass crackdown.
The report entitled “Cryptic notes caught on sanitary pad in FETO house” claimed that “cryptic notes” were seized during the raids in 28 houses, ready to be sent to detained females via women’s pads.
The operations are part of an investigation Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launches. Upon a notice saying the movement has been reorganizing over university students, according to the report, anti-terror squads 58 people were detained.
The Turkish government outlawed the Gulen movement after the controversial coup attempt in 2016 and declared it as a terrorist organization with the acronym of FETO.
The notes pro-Erdogan media outlets published turned out to be “prayer texts” targeted people kept at home to read. The report is widely criticized for committing a hate crime without any investigation reads as follow:
“Cryptic notes were reportedly sent to one of the female suspects among the women’s pads, and also a cryptic order of the organization was conveyed to another suspect while departing from a hearing which issued a decision to extend the detention of the defendant.
“Do not benefit from effective remorse law”
As a result of the failure of these attempts, it was revealed that lawyers sent instructions to the FETO suspects, telling them not to benefit from effective remorse law (Turkish Penal Code 221/3, active cooperation with police). Some of the detained suspects wanted to benefit from the effective remorse law and provided information on the organization.
Arranged marriages
Issues of magazines of the terrorist organization and alcoholic beverage bottles were found among religious books at FETO’ s cell houses. Besides, there were so-called schedules about what to teach students on the phones of those responsible for the organization’s houses.
It was noted that some of the new university students to be recruited for the organization was reported from abroad, and they used an encrypted name to be accepted at home. Some testimonies stated that FETO’s arranged marriage system is continuing between members of the terrorist organization.
Snapchat and Whatsapp for contact
It was reported that among the members of the organization, widely used apps such as “Snapchat” and “WhatsApp” were used for communication. The texting app “Duo” was also in use.
The financial aid to the FETO houses was reportedly organized from abroad; the money was delivered to the person in charge of the organization house in crowded places, and this amount was raised to 600 Turkish liras from 400 in November 2019.”