News / Turkey

Turkish court sentences 64 to life in prison over 2016 failed coup

Wednesday, 07 February 2018 3:18 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 07 February 2018 3:18 PM ]

Paramilitary police and special forces members are seen outside the courthouse as nearly 500 suspects, including a number of generals and military pilots, accused of leading the 2016 failed coup arrive for trial in Ankara, Turkey, on August 1, 2017. (Photo by AP)

A court in Turkey has sentenced 64 military personnel to life imprisonment on charges of involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt, which the Ankara government says was masterminded by US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 17th Heavy Criminal Court in the capital Ankara condemned 60 of the convicts with imprisonment for life on Wednesday, while four others were given aggravated life sentences.

The source added that 100 other defendants were acquitted and released.

During the botched putsch, a faction of the Turkish military declared that it had seized control of the country and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was no more in charge. The attempt was, however, suppressed a few hours later.

Ankara has since accused Gulen of having orchestrated the coup. The opposition figure is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to topple the government via infiltrating the country’s institutions, particularly the army, police and the judiciary.

Additionally, the Ankara government has outlawed his movement, and has branded it as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Gulen has denounced the “despicable putsch” and reiterated that he had no role in it.

In this July 17, 2016 file photo, Turkish cleric and opposition figure Fethullah Gulen speaks to members of the media at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, the United States. (Photo by AP)

“Accusations against me related to the coup attempt are baseless and politically-motivated slanders,” he said in a statement.

The 76-year-old cleric has also called on Ankara to end its “witch hunt” of his followers, a move he said is aimed at “weeding out anyone it deems disloyal to President Erdogan and his regime.”

Turkish officials have frequently called on their US counterparts to extradite Gulen, but their demands have not been taken heed of.

Turkey, which remains in a state of emergency since the coup, has been engaged in suppressing the media and opposition groups suspected to have played a role in the failed coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

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