FETO's Gulen ordered 2016 defeated coup: Turkish court

By Baris Kilic and Serdar Acil

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S.-based ringleader of Fetullah Terrorist Organization, Fetullah Gulen, had ordered the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, said a reasoned verdict for the main FETO/PYD trial on Thursday.

On June 20, Ankara’s 17th High Criminal Court handed down aggravated life sentences to scores of convicts for their involvement in the defeated 2016 coup in Turkey.

In the capital Ankara, prosecutors had recommended 141 aggravated life sentences for 17 alleged members of the so-called “Peace at Home Council,” a sub-group of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Following Nov. 1, 2015 general elections, the reasoned verdict said, FETO/PDY terrorist organization decided to attempt a coup.

The order for the coup attempt was given by Gulen, and so-called imams within the Turkish Armed Forces began their planning, the verdict stated.

“The coup attempt on July 15, 2016 was planned and implemented by taking advantage of the organic integrity and effectiveness of the FETO/PDY armed terrorist organization across the country,” said the verdict.

“There is no dispute and controversy that the countrywide coup attempt was carried out by the armed terrorist organization FETO/PDY, using the name of the Peace at Home Council, which is terror group’s structure in the armed forces,” it added.

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.

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.

* Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak