July 15 Coup Plotter Captured in Afyonkarahisar and Arrested in Muğla

Karatepe was captured in Afyonkarahisar through a joint operation by the Muğla Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and police departments in Afyonkarahisar, Eskişehir, and Muğla, then brought to Muğla by counter-terrorism officers. After police procedures, he was sent to court under heavy security and ordered arrested by a peace criminal judgeship following his prosecutor's statement. During the attack on the hotel where Erdoğan stayed in Marmaris, police officers Mehmet Çetin and Nedip Cengiz Eker were killed.

The assassination team fled to a forested area and was caught after 17 days of searches. In the trial at Muğla 2nd Heavy Penal Court, 31 defendants, including former Brigadier General Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş, former Major Şükrü Seymen, and former Chief Warrant Officer Zekeriya Kuzu, received four aggravated life sentences each, three defendants received one aggravated life sentence each, and six received life sentences. Former aide-de-camp Ali Yazıcı was also sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment. Karatepe, a former captain, was captured on August 1 in Afyonkarahisar.