FETO operational presence in Germany took an upward turn as of mid-90s with the establishment of educational institutions and non-governmental organizations in the country, increasing gradually in time. In the aftermath of the attempted coup in Türkiye, thousands of FETO members illegally left the country during which Germany turned into the European hub for the financial and undercover [operations by specially designated coordinators] activities of FETO.
The clash of power within the group surfaced when FETO leader F. GULEN was spirited away by Cevdet TURKYOLU to the premises at ‘260 Kennel Rd.’ in Saylorsburg in 2024 and it quickly escalated into a matter hot dispute. FETO network in Germany became the new theater of conflicts for the senior members after this development.
Against the backdrop of increasing voices within the group naming candidates for the potential successors of F. GULEN who died on October 20, 2024, the members consider it a strong likelihood that Abdullah AYMAZ, a fugitive from justice who currently lives in Germany, would assume the position of the FETO leader in the days ahead.
A number of recent developments including ‘a growing number of members close to Abdullah AYMAZ being assigned to active posts, ameliorating relations between Cevdet TURKYOLU and A. AYMAZ and the pompous treatment and reception of A. AYMAZ during his visits to the USA as if he was the leader’ play a role in confirming the speculations that A. AYMAZ would actually be anointed as the FETO leader.
In that vein, there are talks within the group that ‘a meeting was organized in Pennsylvania, US in September 2024 with the participation of country coordinators/supervisors (imams) as a result of which A. AYMAZ supporters were assigned to active posts while Huseyin KARAKUS, a figure on unfriendly terms with A. AYMAZ, whose appointment as a member of the executive committee in the days ahead was taken as a given, was demoted from his post as the FETO coordinator/supervisor in charge of Germany to the position of supervisor in charge of The Netherlands, a relatively less active country in terms of FETO operations, only to be replaced by Omer ERFIDAN, a fugitive FETO member known for his close acquaintance with A. AYMAZ.’ ‘Abdullah AYMAZ’s deputy Ahmet TOKAT played an important role in driving out H. KARAKUS from Germany’, according to the same rumors circulating within FETO.
Abdullah AYMAZ is expected to banish members at active positions who are not close to him into more passive roles and thus seek to consolidate his authority in the days ahead.