The Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the capture of Burkay Karatepe, a dismissed captain and helicopter pilot linked to the July 15, 2016, coup attempt. Karatepe was part of a special forces team that attempted to assassinate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Marmaris during the incident.
Karatepe was apprehended in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. The operation was coordinated by the Turkish National Police Intelligence Presidency and carried out jointly by the intelligence branches of the Afyonkarahisar and Eskişehir Provincial Police Departments, with the arrest executed by the Afyonkarahisar Counter-Terrorism Branch. He was reportedly detained on August 1, 2026.
The approximate duration Burkay Karatepe was wanted under a Red Notice.
Karatepe is considered the last remaining fugitive member of the 37-person team that targeted the hotel where President Erdoğan was staying in Marmaris. According to Turkish authorities, he was wanted on several charges, including an assassination attempt against the President, killing a person due to their public duty, opposition to the Military Penal Code, and nighttime plundering of a residence with a weapon and multiple people.
Official responses
No matter how much time passes, no traitor will escape justice.
Minister Akın Gürlek stated that the Turkish state will continue its fight against FETÖ and the coup-plotting mentality under the leadership of President Erdoğan. AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik noted that the fight against the FETÖ network must continue uninterrupted both in Turkey and around the world as a national duty.
The capture of Burkay Karatepe is a concrete indicator of the state's determination.
Legal background
The Marmaris Case, involving the attempt on the President, saw significant rulings at the Muğla 2nd High Criminal Court on October 4, 2017. In that case, 31 defendants were sentenced to four aggravated life sentences each, while others received varying life sentences. Among those sentenced were former Chief Aide-de-Camp to the Turkish President, Ali Yazıcı, who received an aggravated life sentence, and former Rear Admiral Tezcan Kızılelma, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison; both sentences have been finalized.
The files for Fetullah Gülen, Burkay Karatepe, Özcan Karacan, and Ramazan Elmas were separated from the main Marmaris Case to await the execution of their arrest warrants. Other convictions in the case were approved and finalized by the 3rd Penal Chamber of the Turkish Court of Cassation on May 17, 2022.
