Ex-soldiers receive life terms for coup attempt

ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency

A Turkish court on Dec. 6 convicted seven defendants, including five former senior soldiers, with life terms for involvement in the July 15 defeated coup attempt, according to judicial sources.

Former Lieut. Commander Murat Çetinkaya and Tahsin İşlekel; former noncommissioned officer Nihat Cengel and ex-Master Sgt. Hüseyin Kayabaş were sentenced by the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court for violating the Constitution.

Former Lieut. Commander Hakan Egemen, who buried weapons after the coup attempt was defeated, was slapped with an aggravated life sentence, also for violating the Constitution in the same case.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people killed 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.