Key FETÖ suspect Güven dies in prison

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Zeki Güven, the former intelligence chief of the Ankara Police Department who was arrested for his alleged links to the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), died in prison on July 1.

According to sources from the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Güven died of a heart attack at Sincan F-Type Prison.

Güven was believed to be one of the high-ranking members of the network organized within the police force.

He was in prison on charges of “operating a terror organization.”

Güven had served as the deputy police chief in the western province of Bolu before he was dismissed from this job for his alleged links to FETÖ.

Güven and his wife, Sevda Güven, a former judge, were arrested at a shopping mall in the western Eskişehir province in June. Sevda Güven was also sought by the authorities for her links to the Gülen network.

Zeki Güven was one of the 171 suspects on trial at the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court over their involvement in a 2010 tape scandal concerning former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and former Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) executives.

According to the indictment, the suspects installed audio and video recorders in 12 different addresses, targeting 24 individuals. Baykal was among the targets, with footage emerging of him in flagrante delicto with a former CHP deputy.

The suspects are also accused of leaking the recordings on the internet.

Following the emergence of the scandal in May 2010, Baykal resigned as party leader.