Former Istanbul police chief arrested in coup attempt probe

ISTANBUL

A former Istanbul police chief has been arrested as a part of the investigation into the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), which was believed to have orchestrated the failed coup attempt of July 15. Hüseyin Çapkın was arrested over being a member of an “armed terrorist organization” on Sept. 3, three days after being detained at his residence in the Çeşme district of the Aegean province of İzmir. 

“I’m not a part of such an organization. I’ve never received help from [such] an organization during my career. I’ve never sent my children to any schools belonging to this group,” Çapkın said in his testimony, adding that he never spoke to U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen face-to-face. 

“I’ve never spoke to the head of the armed terrorist organization, Gülen, face-to-face. I’ve never been in their meetings. I’ve never had any contact,” he also said, as he denied all charges against him.

Saying that his duty in Istanbul was extended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was prime minister at the time, Çapkın noted he wanted to be with Erdoğan during the July 15 failed seizure of power but couldn’t “because the roads were blocked and the jets were flying.”

Çapkın was also asked about the Dec. 17-25, 2013, graft probes against top government officials, to which he replied by saying that he found out about the investigation from former Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu early on Dec. 17, 2013. 

“I fired the local police chiefs who were related to the probe and assigned new ones. Then I was relocated on Dec. 19, [2013],” he added. 

Çapkın had been assigned to the central governor’s office following dismissals in the police headquarters during the Dec. 17-25, 2013, graft probe operations. He had been replaced by then-Aksaray Governor Selami Altınok, who later served as the interior minister.

Erdoğan accused the Gülenists over the December 2013 graft probe.