Turkey: 12 ex-soldiers get life sentence over coup bid

By Filiz Kinik and Ali Cevahir Akturk

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Istanbul court on Tuesday handed down aggravated life sentences to 12 former soldiers including generals for their involvement in the 2016 defeated coup, according to a judicial source.

The 14th High Criminal Court convicted the former military personnel on charges of violating the constitution, said the source, who asked not be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (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.