Fresh indictments prepared against July 15 suspects in Istanbul, İzmir

ISTANBUL/ İZMİR – Anadolu Agency

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Istanbul prosecutors sought three aggravated life sentences each for 21 police officers and up to 15 years in prison for eight police officers for their alleged role in Turkey’s failed military coup attempt, while 267 people were charged for alleged involvement in the attempt in another indictment in the western province of İzmir.

The 59-page indictment prepared by Istanbul prosecutor Evliya Çalışkan named 29 police officers as suspects and described the role they played in the coup attempt.

The indictment stated that the suspected police officers did not show up at their posts after the coup attempt had gotten underway, despite a call from the authorities to resist the attempt on the night of July 15. It also said the suspects tried to prevent such an anti-coup mobilization and attempted to dissuade friends and civilians from protesting the coup activities.

It also said the suspected police officers failed to help the civilians who asked for their help to avert the actions of the pro-coup soldiers, ordering other officers to remain passive and surrender themselves without resistance. 

Another incident said some of the suspects did not carry out orders to transfer the police Special Operations Team to the Huber Presidential Mansion in Istanbul. The suspects are accused of stating that they would be killed by pro-coup forces if they were to take the Special Operations Team to the mansion.

In the indictment prepared by prosecutors in İzmir, 267 suspects were charged with coup-related activities and being members of an “armed terror organization.” 

The indictment written by prosecutor Berkant Karakaya, which also included the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen as the prime suspect, alleged that the suspects attempted to “dissolve the constitutional order,” were “members of an armed terror organization,” and attempted to “dissolve the Turkish Parliament and prevent it from performing its duties.” 

The document said the suspected members of the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) gave codenames to a number of state institution buildings, as well as activities taking place within the police department, National Intelligence Agency (MİT) and Justice Ministry.  

The indictment claimed that the FETÖ members came together at secret meetings, which were the top rung in the hierarchical ladder of the group. It added that the organization’s leaders were tasked with pressuring new members who wanted to leave the community, using both physical and psychological threats.