Coup soldiers who raided Doğan Media Center given aggravated life sentences

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Three former Turkish military officers who raided the Doğan Media Center on the night of the 2016 coup attempt were given aggravated life sentences on March 21 over links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the July 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to a judiciary source.

Istanbul’s 27th Heavy Penal Court convicted Erdal Şeker, Mehmet Akif Aslan and Süleyman Ahmet Kaya of violating the constitutional order on the night of the coup bid during a raid on the Doğan Media Center in which a civilian, Vedat Barceğci, was killed, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. 

Kaya was given another aggravated life sentence — two in total — as he was also convicted of the murder of Barceğci.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen are believed to have orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.