102 sentenced to life in coup case for military academy
ANKARA
An Istanbul court has given life sentences to 102 convicts including high-ranking former Turkish military officers, a judicial source told state-run Anadolu Agency on Aug. 17.
The group was charged as members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) over incidents that took place at the War Colleges Command in Istanbul during the defeated coup of July 2016, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.
The charges also include the kidnapping and jailing of Tahir Bekiroğlu who was a lieutenant general at the command at the time.
Sixty-seven got life sentences, while the remainder got aggravated life sentences, the source added.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen were accused of orchestrating the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
