Turkey: 7 ex-soldiers convicted over coup bid get life

By Ozgun Tiran

KIRKLARELI, Turkey

A Turkish court on Tuesday sentenced seven former soldiers to life in prison for their actions during the July 2016 defeated coup, judicial sources said.

Former Brig. Gen. Bekir Kocak was given an aggravated life sentence by a high criminal court in the northwestern Kirklareli province, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Six other army officials received life sentences for their actions the night of July 15 at the 55th Infantry Brigade Command.

They were all charged with attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

Turkish courts also sentenced to prison 20 members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group behind the 2016 defeated coup -- according to judicial sources.

A court in the northern province of Kastamonu sentenced a former teacher to over two years for terrorist group membership.

Another former teacher in the eastern Malatya province received seven years and six months in prison for the same charges.

Additionally, an ex-police chief in the southern Hatay province got nearly 17 years in prison for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

Several people across Turkey also got jail terms for armed terrorist group membership.

A total of 16 others in the central provinces of Sivas and Kayseri, northern Rize and Kastamonu provinces, and southern Adana province were given jail terms ranging from six to eight years.

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

Ankara 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.