Heavy life sentences sought for 119 FETO suspects

By Mustafa Hatipoglu and Melike Gallenkus

ISTANBUL (AA) – Prosecutors are seeking aggravated life sentences for 119 people suspected of participating in the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, a judicial source said on Friday.

The suspects are accused over incidents that took place in Istanbul’s Sultanbeyli district and at the Turkish Mehmetcik Foundation on the night of the botched coup attempt, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

At the 28th High Criminal Court in Istanbul’s Silivri district, the suspects stand accused of violating the constitutional order.

Prosecutor Orhan Uzun requested aggravated life sentences for the suspects -- 116 students and three senior officers -- for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, during which 250 people were martyred and nearly 2,200 others 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.

In the wake of the defeated coup, tens of thousands of FETO suspects were arrested, including many in the armed forces, police, judicial system, education, and business sectors.