28 suspects, including singer Atilla Taş, face up to 10 years in Gülen probe

ISTANBUL

Istanbul prosecutors on Jan. 18 demanded up to 10 years in prison for 28 suspects, including popular Turkish singer Atilla Taş, over alleged links to what they call the “Fethullah Terror Organization (FETÖ).” 

The suspects, 25 of whom are under arrest, face prison terms of up to 10 years on charges of being members of an armed organization.
 
Taş, who first rose to prominence in Turkey as a singer, was writing columns for the daily Meydan newspaper, which was shut down as part of the probe into the Gülen network after the July 2016 coup attempt. He became more popular on social media with his active role in the summer 2013 anti-government Gezi Park protests.

The indictment stated that dozens of Taş’s tweets posted on Twitter from 2011 to 2016 were examined as part of the probe.

Another suspect in the same probe, Said Sefa, faces an aggravated life sentence and up to 15 years in jail on charges of “being in the leadership position of a terror organization” and of “attempting to abolish the Turkish government.”