UPDATE - Turkey: FETO terror suspects get prison sentences

UPDATES WITH MORE SENTENCES

ISTANBUL (AA) - A court in southern Turkey's Adana province on Monday sentenced 43 people, including 23 ex-police officers, to jail time ranging from three to seven years.

They were convicted of being members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group behind last year's defeated coup attempt.

During the hearing at Adana’s 11th High Criminal Court, the ex-police officers denied all the charges against them.

Apart from the ex-officers, other 20 convicts were found guilty of being part of the FETO's network in judiciary.

The same court on Monday also heard Ahmet Beyoglu, former deputy governor in Adana, accused of being a member of FETO terror group. He received a nine-year jail term.

The court also sentenced two other suspects over using ByLock -- an encrypted smartphone messaging app used by FETO members before and during last year's defeated coup attempt.

Both received prison sentences of six years.

Also on Monday, in the central Sivas province, a court sentenced the former special operation police officer Hasan Avsar to 11 years and 3 months jail term.

He was accused of being a member of the terror group and also hiding a grenade in his office at the police department.

Although Avsar denied all charges, the prosecutor claimed that he used ByLock app and FETO-affiliated Bank Asya, and donated funds to the group-related non-governmental organizations.

- Defeated coup

Meanwhile, a local court in the southeastern Siirt province sentenced a FETO member to 11 years in prison.

Ahmet Kibici was accused of being the person in charge of organizing the terror group's infiltration of the city's court and prison.

In the central Kirsehir province, a local court sentenced two FETO members to over 10 years in prison. Former police officer Hasan Alpaslan Ilter got 10 years and six months, while FETO-linked dormitory head Hakan Kanat got 15 years.

Also, in the southern Antalya province, the court remanded into custody 11 FETO suspects, allegedly including the person in charge of organizing the group's army infiltration.

They are accused of being members of an armed terrorist group.

Over 60 suspects including soldiers and military students had been arrested on Dec. 13, and were later sent to court with prosecutors seeking prison sentences.

In a separate operation, in the northern Samsun province, police arrested 11 suspects who were reportedly working for FETO-linked companies. Police raided their homes and seized some digital documents.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Gulen organized the July 15 defeated coup attempt, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 others wounded.

The group is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.