Turkish court rules to keep US consulate worker in jail

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on Dec. 11 rejected a request to release Metin Topuz, a Turkish employee in the U.S.’s Istanbul consulate, who has faced charges of espionage and attempting to overthrow the Turkish government.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) translator has been accused of links to members of FETÖ, the group behind the failed coup attempt of July 2016.

The 14th Heavy Criminal Court in Istanbul rejected the release request and ordered that Topuz should remain in custody until the next hearing on March 10.

 “The accusations made against me are just claims ... There is no evidence that could even justify suspicion that I committed these crimes,“ Topuz said during the hearing.

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 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.