Turkey: Ex-civil servants indicted over defeated coup

By Muhammed Enes Can and Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL

Istanbul prosecutors on Thursday submitted an indictment of public officials involved in last year’s defeated coup, a judicial source said.

A 218-page indictment submitted to Istanbul’s Criminal Court seeks three aggravated life sentences and 10-30 years behind bars for each suspect, including Gokay Atilla Bostan, former Istanbul head of Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), former Istanbul Greater Municipality Civil Defense Secretary Mehmet Tunc, and former Logistic Support Directorate head Omer Tunc, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Prosecutors asked that Bostan, who was allegedly in contact with FETO suspect former Col. Muslum Kaya over FETO-linked soldiers’ attempt to capture the Istanbul Governor’s Office the night of the coup bid, receive three aggravated life sentence for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, the Republic of Turkey, and parliament.

They also recommended up to 10 years in prison for Bostan for being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

Mehmet Tunc was accused of providing support for coup soldiers trying to capture an Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building the night of the coup bid. Prosecutors urged three aggravated life sentences for Tunc on charges of possessing an unregistered firearm and being a member of an armed terrorist group.

Omer Tunc, Mehmet Tunc’s son, was also accused of providing food for coup soldiers the night of the coup bid. Prosecutors urged three aggravated life sentences for the younger Tunc, plus up to 30 years in prison, for a number of charges including damaging public property, possessing an unregistered firearm, and membership in an armed terrorist group.

Thousands of defendants in such cases are accused of being members of FETO, which attempted to overthrow the government and the country’s constitutional order and commit murder on the night of July 15, 2016.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup bid, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.