18 FETO jailed for killing Turkish hero Halisdemir

By Baris Kilic and Ismet Karakas

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 14th High Criminal Court in the capital Ankara handed down aggravated life sentences to 18 Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) convicts for their roles in the murder of a Turkish officer during the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, according to a judicial source said on Thursday.

Omer Halisdemir -- who was martyred during the coup attempt night after he shot dead a senior coup plotter -- became the symbol of the Turkish nation's resistance against the defeated coup bid.

Halisdemir shot pro-coup Brig. Gen. Semih Terzi in the head after the latter attempted to seize control of the Special Forces Command in capital Ankara. Pro-coup soldiers later martyred Halisdemir.

According to the government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on 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.