Detainee claims Gülenists knew of ISIL train station attack plot one day before: Sabah

ISTANBUL

Pro-government daily Sabah claimed on Oct. 4 that a detainee with alleged links to the Gülen movement has testified that Gülenists were informed through a mobile chat system about the deadly Ankara train station attack of Oct. 10, 2015, one day before it was carried out. 

The detainee, code-named “Merve,” reportedly said that the day before the attack targeting a political rally in the capital Ankara - the deadliest terror attack in modern Turkish history - group members, including herself, received a message through the ByLock messaging app saying there would be a terror attack the following day. 

“I informed people who I know in Ankara, including my relatives and friends, about the plot. I did not go out either. The following day I learned about the terror attack in front of the Ankara train station on the TV. I was very saddened to see dozens of people lose their lives,” said the suspect, detained in the western province of İzmir as part of the probe into the Fethullah Terror Organization (FETÖ), suspected of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup attempt.

The attack carried out by two suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants killed 102 people and wounded more than 300 during an opposition rally. 

Police have seized the cell phone of the suspect “Merve” and launched an inspection to identify the related messages sent through the ByLock app.   

Investigators have reportedly identified 40,000 members of the organization so far through the ByLock program, which was allegedly used by Gülenists on the night of the coup attempt for communication.

During her testimony, the suspect also disclosed how she first became involved with the Gülenists, saying she was introduced to the movement at high school and later stayed at one of the group’s community houses after moving to Ankara to pursue her university education. 

“When the Dec. 17/25, 2015 coup attempt failed, we started to use ByLock program with instructions given by the organization’s high-ranking members. We were instructed to communicate through this program,” said the suspect, referring to the massive corruption probes launched against government officials, including a number of ministers, which were later quashed by the government.