Turkish court passes FETO propaganda sentence

By Adbullah Yildiz

KIRSEHIR, Turkey (AA) - A Turkish court on Monday jailed a defendant for nearly 27 months for spreading propaganda for the group said to have orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt, a judicial official said.

The High Criminal Court in Kirsehir, central Turkey, sentenced the defendant -- identified only as F.E. -- for “making propaganda for the armed terrorist organization FETO/PDY” through social media.

Turkey has said the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is also known as the parallel state structure (PDY), was behind the attempted coup that resulted in the deaths of 246 people.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, did not provide further details about the offense.

FETO -- led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen -- is said to be behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

Ankara has stepped up demands for Gulen’s extradition from Pennsylvania since the attempted coup.