Turkey: Newsman Murat Aksoy, singer Atilla Tas released

By Mustafa Hatipoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish singer Atilla Tas and journalist Murat Aksoy, who were jailed pending trial for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Group (FETO), have been released from prison Tuesday after spending over half a year behind bars, according to a judicial source.

Istanbul's 25th criminal court dropped charges against singer Atilla Tas, journalist Murat Aksoy and teacher Davut Aydin at a hearing, a source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said.

All three had been arrested in April this year.

Twenty-six suspects remain in jail as part of a FETO media network probe.

They are accused of “being a member of a terror group” and of “participating in a coup attempt”.

The hearing for the 26 suspects was postponed to Dec. 4.

Turkey accuses FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen of having orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 250 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.