Five suspects released in 2016 Atatürk Airport terror attack trial

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

An Istanbul court on July 9 ruled for the release of five suspects in the case regarding the 2016 attack on the Atatürk Airport, carried out by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants, that left 45 people dead and over 160 injured.

A total of 46 suspects including 36 in custody and six out on bail were tried at the Istanbul 13th heavy panel court. Four are still at large.

The public prosecutor on July 9 demanded aggravated life sentences for six ISIL suspects who are in custody, whose names are Riza Coskun, Levent Uysal, Ahmet Kaplan, Eyup Demir, Ahmet Dizlek and Djamel Slimani.

The prosecutor also sought prison sentences ranging between seven and 15 years for 15 suspected ISIL members. The prosecutor also asked for the acquittal of the remaining 21 due to lack of evidence.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 12.

More than 300 people have lost their lives in ISIL-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the group has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket, and gun attacks.

The last major attack in Turkey attributed to ISIL was the New Year massacre by an Uzbek gunman at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul just minutes into 2017. The assault left 39 people dead.

ISIL suspect arrested in Nevşehir

Meanwhile, police on July 9 apprehended an ISIL suspect in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir. The Iraqi national, identified as N.H.A.A.J, was arrested on charges of being member of a terror group and sent to the Nevsehir E-Type Prison.

Earlier this month, security forces also detained nine Iraqi nationals in the Black Sea province of Samsun in an investigation into ISIL.