Turkey: Ex-judge gets 13 years over FETO membership

By Omer Sut

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - A Turkish court on Monday sentenced a former judge to more than 13 years for his ties to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, according to judicial authorities.

After being found guilty of being a FETO member, Omer Diken got a prison sentence of 13 years and 4 months.

Diken presided over the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) trial, which accused hundreds of Turkish military personnel, including high-ranking generals, of plotting a coup against the newly elected Justice and Development (AK) Party government in 2003.

In early 2015, an Istanbul high court overturned the convictions against all 236 defendants in the case and acquitted them.

The suspect was also found to have communicated with FETO’s “covert imams” -- senior FETO operatives -- via pay phone.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey 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.

*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic