Seized İzmir island set for auction amid FETÖ probe
İZMİR
Turkish authorities have announced the auction of an island in the Turkish Aegean city of İzmir through a foreclosure process more than eight years after it was seized as part of operations targeting the FETÖ terrorist organization.
One of Türkiye's 64 islands, the Garip Island encompasses a total area of 357,731 square meters and will be auctioned online by the Dikili Foreclosure Office between Jan. 22 and 29, 2025, with an estimated value of 1.073 billion Turkish Liras ($31.7 million).
Local media reports indicated that foreigners or foreign-origin companies will not be able to enter the tender.
The island, once a site for touristic excursions, has a foreclosure story that traces back to 2010, involving Fİ Yapı, a construction company placed under trusteeship during investigations linked to the FETÖ terror group.
Following the 2016 coup attempt orchestrated by FETÖ against the Turkish government, Fİ Yapı became one of the focal points of legal scrutiny due to its alleged affiliations with the group.
FETÖ infiltrated key ministries, the military and the judiciary in Türkiye, strategically placing its members in critical positions. Following the failed coup, thousands of members were expelled from these posts.
A pivotal moment in the island’s fate unfolded on Sept. 28, 2016, when the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, conducting a comprehensive FETÖ inquiry, appointed trustees from the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) to oversee Fİ Yapı. This decision effectively transferred the company's entire assets, including Garip Island, under state supervision.
The island is classified as an olive grove. It hosts three unregistered structures and is designated as a “strictly protected sensitive area” and a “natural conservation site,” according to auction documents.