140 FETO suspects get life sentences in Turkey
Sentences were handed down by courts across Turkey after trials
By S. Ahmet Aytac and Sibel Ugurlu
ANKARA
Courts across Turkey handed down life sentences to 140 suspects linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind last year’s defeated coup attempt.
On Oct. 27, Ankara’s 17th High Criminal Court gave life sentences to 25 suspects, including Hakan Ustem, a former coast guard commander, over the incidents on the night of the defeated coup at a naval base in the Golcuk district of northwestern province of Kocaeli.
In southeastern Adiyaman province, a former police chief Fatih Nacar was given an aggravated life sentence by the 2nd High Criminal Court on Oct. 27. Nacar was accused of ordering people not to resist the coup soldiers.
Ankara’s 14th High Criminal Court sentenced 13 suspects -- eight former soldiers and five civilians -- to aggravated life sentences on Oct. 23 for trying to cut the signal feed of Turkish satellite operator TURKSAT during the July 15, 2016 defeated coup.
Istanbul’s 22nd High Criminal Court on Oct. 20, gave 12 suspects, including former soldiers and security staff, aggravated life sentences, and seven others life sentences, for an attempt to take over the Turk Telekom building and Istanbul Governor’s Office.
On Oct.18, the 2nd High Criminal Court in southwestern Mugla province also sentenced two former Turkish naval officers to life sentences for violating the Constitution during last year's defeated coup.
Former Rear Adm. Namik Alper, FETO’s so-called “martial law commander” in Mugla, and former Col. Aytunc Kan were among the suspects who were accused of trying to overthrow Turkey’s constitutional order through violence as part of the coup bid.
Istanbul’s 24th High Criminal Court on Oct. 16 handed three former soldiers aggravated life sentences. They were convicted for bringing some Air Force Academy students from Yalova to Istanbul to provide support for the coup soldiers during the night of the defeated coup.
On Oct.13, 11 suspects were given aggravated life sentences and four others were given life sentences by Ankara’s 17th High Criminal Court, over their role in incidents at the Electronic Communication and Information Systems School, and the Education Center of the Turkish Land Forces Command during the night of coup bid.
The 24th High Criminal Court in Istanbul on Oct. 12 handed down aggravated life sentences to Zafer Kuloglu, a district deputy police chief, and Halil Ibrahim Alan, a superintendent.
Mugla’s 2nd High Criminal Court gave aggravated life sentences to 40 suspects on Oct. 6. They included former Brig. Gen. Gokhan Sahin Sonmezates, former Maj. Sukru Seymen, and former Master Sgt. Zekeriya Kuzu -- the so-called "base imam" of Cigli’s 2nd Main Jet Base Command in Aegean province of Izmir.
The suspects were accused of attempting to assassinate Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the defeated coup.
On Oct. 4, Ankara’s 17th Criminal Court gave life sentences to five former soldiers, during a hearing on the kidnapping of retired Gen. Kamil Basoglu, former the head of the Doctrine Command.
In southeastern Gaziantep province, nine former soldiers, including ex-Col. Turgut Celebi, were given aggravated life sentences on Sept. 7 by the 7th High Criminal Court over the incidents at the 106th Artillery Regiment Command during the defeated coup.
In eastern Bitlis province on June 9, the 2nd High Criminal Court gave three aggravated life sentences to each of the four suspects, including former Brig. Gen. Arif Settar Afsar -- the so-called “martial law commander” of FETO.
In the first-ever hearing in the eastern Erzurum province on Jan. 5, the 2nd Criminal Court gave two ex-army officers, Colonel Murat Kocak and Major Murat Yilmaz aggravated life sentences.
Thousands of defendants in these cases are accused of being members of the FETO, which attempted to overthrow the government and the constitutional order and commit murder on the night of July 15.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and some 2,200 injured.
Turkey accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
