Turkish judiciary slams FETO members with heavy terms

By Ismet Karakas and Tanju Ozkaya

ANKARA (AA) - Three years after the July 15 deadly coup attempt by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) to overthrow the Turkish government, the prosecution process for the alleged members for their links to the FETO, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, has been continuing.

The Ankara Heavy Criminal Court No: 4 handed down aggravated life sentences to Hidayet Karaca, former chairman of Samanyolu TV (STV); Ilhan Isbilen, a former lawmaker; Alaeddin Kaya, a former holder of daily Zaman that was shut down by the government; and Kazim Avci, a relative of Fetullah Gulen, in one of the major cases involving 75 defendants.

They were given jail terms on charges of attempting to violate the country's Constitution.

Abdulkadir Aksoy, one of the attorneys of Fetullah Gulen, another attorney Ali Celik and businessman Dilaver Azim were sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

Separately, in the capital Ankara, prosecutors had sought 141 aggravated life sentences for 17 alleged members of the FETO.

Former Air Force Commander Gen. Akin Ozturk -- the key officer who plotted the coup from within the military -- Ahmet Ozcetin, Ali Osman Gurcan, Bilal Akyuz, Cemil Turhan, Erhan Caha, Firat Alakus, Hakan Evrim, Kubilay Selcuk, Mehmet Disli, Mehmet Partigoc, Omer Faruk Harmancik, Murat Kocyigit, Mustafa Baris Avialan, Orhan Yikilkan, Sinan Surer, Muhsin Kutsi Baris received 141 aggravated life sentences.

The prosecutors had also demanded 140 aggravated life sentences for Osman Kilic, 62 aggravated life sentences for Muzaffer Duzenli, 30 aggravated life sentences for Ozcan Karacan, 29 aggravated life sentences for Unsal Coskun, Mehmet Sahin and Halil Gul, and 11 aggravated life sentences for Ramazan Gozel.

Ali Yazici, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s former military aide, retired Maj. Gen. Ilhan Talu, Osman Kardal, Levent Turkkan, Birol Kurubas and Ahmet Bican Kirkek got one aggravated life sentence each.

Another commander, former brigadier general Ali Kalyoncu, was the one who had reportedly ordered the tanks to proceed toward the center of the capital Ankara on the night of the bloody putsch.

Other ex-commanders including Ejder Yildirim got nine, Nuri Buyuzyazici got 6 and Ertugrul Terzi got 2 aggravated life sentences.

Former Brigadier Kerim Acar, then-dean of the military academy, was among those slapped with aggravated life in prison.

Former rear admiral Irfan Arabaci and Murat Sirzai got one aggravated life sentence each and Hakan Ustem, a former coast guard commander, and Abdulkerim Ceyhan got life imprisonment.

The terrorist group's infiltration of the judiciary includes Mehmet Rasim Kuseyri who got eight years, Osman Sanal got 11 years and Ferhat Sarikaya got 10 years in prison.

Nazire Terzi, the wife of the former Brig. Gen. Semih Terzi who was shot dead by Omer Halisdemir, also got 18-year prison sentence for willingly aiding and abetting FETO.

Aysenur Parildak, a correspondent of the FETO-linked Zaman newspaper, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for being a member of armed terrorist organization.

The FETO members were also found guilty of leaking the civil service recruitment exam -- also known as KPSS -- in 2010, which they used to help them infiltrate state institutions.

Muhammet Sait Gulen, a nephew of Fetullah Gulen who is the leader of the FETO terrorist organization, was slapped with a sentence of six years and three months.

Yalcin Baransu, the brother of Mehmet Baransu who was found guilty of plotting against suspects in the “Sledgehammer” military coup case, got eight years and nine months prison sentence.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

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.