National Intelligence Organization

Turkey will prepare a new list about the users of the Bylock mobile messaging application whose users are suspected of being linked to the Gülen network, after Ankara secured cooperation with Lithuania, where the server of the app is based, upon Russian initiatives. 

An Islamic State Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) suspect who returned to Turkey after defecting from the group has been released from detention because he had a "fixed residence."

Parliament's coup investigation commission, set up to probe Turkey's failed July 15, 2016 military takeover bid, wrapped up its work on Jan. 4, amid opposition criticism that the commission was ineffective and left many details of the coup attempt in the dark. 

A parliamentary commission investigating the July 15 coup attempt has directed 10 questions to Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, who was abducted by putschist soldiers during the foiled attempt before being saved together with other members of the top brass, according to broadcaster NTV.

The questions are as follows: 

- How did you learn about the coup attempt?

Turkish top civilian and security officials came together Dec. 15 under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to review measures against potential terror incidents following twin suicide attacks in Istanbul over the weekend.

It also followed Erdoğan's statement that a national mobilization against terror should be launched. 

The Turkish Parliament's coup investigation commission members from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) have said they have applied to the Justice Ministry to visit and hear testimony from a group of high-ranking soldiers suspected of playing key roles in the July 15 coup attempt and now in jail pending trial.

This looks very familiar to me. These are signs of instrumentalization in the fight against the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), particularly in the "FETÖ operation against the Doğan Group." 

All people who have used ByLock, an encrypted messaging application said to have been used by followers of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, are categorically considered members of the movement, according to a prosecutor's indictment, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. 

Members of the Gülen movement were able to infiltrate the Turkish Armed Forces largely due to a lack of intelligence information from the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), according to former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ.

The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is in command of the fight against the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization" (FETÖ). But it must be stressed that the MİT is not a judicial institution; its duty is to gather intelligence.