Turkish court accepts indictment in main coup bid probe

By Muhammed Enes Can, Murat Kaya and Yunus Ege

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Istanbul court on Friday approved an indictment against the main suspects in last July’s coup attempt which martyred 249 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, a judicial source said.

The 351-page indictment against 24 suspects including six generals, 17 colonels and U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, the leader of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which Turkey says is behind the coup attempt, was sent to the 14th High Criminal Court on Feb. 22, following the conclusion of the main probe into the coup bid.

Gulen is the number one suspect in the indictment, and faces 92 times aggravated life imprisonment, and a prison sentence from 56 to 174 years on charges of attempting to abolish the Turkish parliament and government, and the constitutional order among various other charges.

Fifteen of the suspects are already under custody, while the others are on the run.

The first hearing is scheduled for May 29.

Led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15, 2016, coup plot as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating Turkish state institutions, particularly the military, police, and the judiciary.