By Tanju Ozkaya, Ismet Karakas and Serdar Acil
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish prosecutors on Friday awarded prison sentences of nine years and seven months to 51 Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) affiliated defendants, for leaking 2012 police academy examination questions to their collaborators.
The trials were held in Ankara’s Heavy Criminal Court no:19. The defendants were charged of being members of an armed terror group and also cheating the state institutions.
Ali Osman Arslan, Fatih Guler, Ugur Bayram and Umit Cinkir were found guilty of delivering questions to FETO-linked candidates, who were sitting in examination to qualify entry into the Turkish state institutions. The court sentenced them severe prison sentence of nine years and seven months and also slapped fine of 14,000 Turkish Liras (($2,375).
A number of defendants benefitted after cooperating with Turkish security and judiciary departments. They will be free after competing period of probation.
A total of 18 defendants were acquitted of all charges.
On July 15, 2016, FETO terror group and its U.S.-based ringleader Fetullah Gulen organized the defeated coup, which claimed 251 lives and left more than 2000 people wounded.
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.
Leaking exam questions was a common method used by the terror group, to ensure its infiltration into state institutions across the country.