Turkey: 40 FETO convicts slapped with heavy jail terms

By Murat Kaya

ISTANBUL

A Turkish court on Friday awarded 40 Fetullah Terrorist Organization’s (FETO) members heavy jail terms for their involvement in the July 2016 defeated coup, according to a judicial source.

The 27th High Criminal Court in Istanbul handed down seven times aggravated life sentences to six, three times aggravated life sentences to one and seven times life terms to 33 other FETO terrorists for attempting to violate the constitutional order, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

They were all convicted for their activities at the Turk Telekom building in Acibadem district of Istanbul during the defeated coup.

The court also acquitted one suspect all charges.

The FETO members raided the building of Turkey’s leading communication provider Turk Telecom during the 2016 defeated coup. The coup plotters took the employees hostage and clashed with police teams, which later arrested all of them.

According to the government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also 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.