Fethullah Gülen’s brother sentenced to 10.5 years in jail

İZMİR

The brother of Fethullah Gülen, who is widely believed to have masterminded the 2016 coup attempt, has been sentenced to 10.5 years in jail, judicial sources said on Oct. 1.

İzmir’s 14th High Criminal Court handed down the sentence to Kutbettin Gülen, who was already in prison, on charges of being a member of an armed terrorist organization, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Attending the trial via video conference, Gülen, who said that he suffered from health problems, rejected the accusations directed at him and asked to be released from prison.

He had been remanded in custody on Oct. 2, 2016.

According to the Turkish government, Gülen’s group FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup 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.