Turkish Foreign Minister Accused of Personally Torturing General at Secret Facility in Ankara

On the 8th anniversary of the controversial coup attempt that took place in Turkey on July 15, 2016, a recently released documentary film unveils shocking allegations against high-ranking officials. The former vice admiral, dismissed from the naval forces following the failed coup, claims that the then-head of intelligence, now Turkey’s foreign minister, personally tortured the suspect. This report is provided by the Nordic Research Monitoring Network.

Many believe that the 2016 failed coup was an operation under another flag, intended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his intelligence chief Hakan Fidan, and the then-chief of the armed forces, Hulusi Akar. Erdoğan allegedly used the coup attempt as a pretext to strengthen his power, remove NATO-affiliated generals from the army, and initiate a cross-border military incursion into Syria. He accused U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen of involvement in the coup attempt and launched a “witch hunt” against his followers based on dubious criminal charges.

Gülen has vehemently denied any role in the failed coup, and the Turkish government has yet to present any evidence linking him to it. Mustafa Zekki Uğurlu, speaking from NATO's allied command in the U.S. on the night of July 15, 2016, made significant claims in a documentary released on the Alesta YouTube channel, created by officers dismissed from the armed forces and currently living abroad.

“Bring Akar and Fidan to confront one of my former military peers; within half an hour, they would dispel all their claims about the coup attempt. Akar and Fidan will not be able to answer any questions, as they have no substantive responses,” Uğurlu stated.

At the end of the documentary, Uğurlu posed a question to Fidan: “While generals and admirals were being tortured, did you partake in any torture? Did you bite any of their ears?” He queried, adding, “Aren’t you afraid of the future, of the truth being revealed?” and hinted to Fidan that he was aware of the tortures but did not reveal the identity of the tortured general.

The issue of the torture of officers accused of participating in the coup attempt became known for the first time from a recorded police statement in Ankara, published by the state-run Anadolu news agency immediately after July 15, 2016.

Since the end of that year, Fidan has overseen the torture and abduction of government critics and opponents, with President Erdoğan’s approval. Following that confirmation, many victims were transferred to secret facilities operated by the Turkish MIT intelligence agency, where they underwent torture and abuse.

Despite growing evidence, including numerous criminal cases, victim statements, and confessions from senior MIT officials, Erdoğan’s government has failed to initiate any effective investigation into the claims of torture. However, Erdoğan's administration eventually decided that it must determine what to do. In some cases, prosecutors apparently conducted investigations into these claims but later dropped them, often citing a lack of evidence as an excuse. To this day, no checks have been carried out in Ankara regarding the “Black Sites.”

In 2024, investigative journalist Adem Yavuz Arslan revealed in a file re-uploaded on his own YouTube channel that Erdoğan frequently visited torture sites in Ankara. He even noted an instance where Erdoğan and his team, including Fidan, had lunch with venison prepared by palace chefs while individuals were held in lower cells.

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