While over 37,000 people in Turkey have been arrested on coup charges and for being alleged sympathizers of the Gülen movement following a failed coup on July 15, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has held the movement responsible for the coup since day one, has said he has not revealed everything he knows about the movement.
Talking to a group of educators at his palace on Nov. 24, Teachers Day, Erdoğan said one day he would write a book about the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization [FETÖ]” investigations that were initiated after the coup.
As part of the ongoing investigations over 115,000 people have been dismissed from government positions, effectively ruining the lives of many and impacting over a million people according to the estimates of the main opposition.
Calling Gülen movement sympathizers “terrorists” and labeling the movement as “FETÖ,” Erdoğan acknowledged wrongdoings and unlawful purges, saying that since Gülen sympathizers try to hide themselves among the population, innocent people could also be affected. But he added that he does not want the innocent to be hurt by the arrests and dismissals.
Despite admitting unlawful purges, Erdoğan added, “I will not say now what I know, but when the right time comes, I might write a book because you may not say all you know all the time.”
As part of Turkey’s largest purge, 145 journalists are among the 37,000 under arrest. A total of 3,843 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed while 6,337 academics have lost their jobs on charges of terrorist links.