Turkish police file $8.7 million lawsuit against FETÖ members over coup attempt bombings

ANKARA

Turkish police filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against prominent Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) members, security officials said on Nov. 19, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The Security General Directorate - the country’s police force - sought 34 million Turkish Liras ($8.7 million) in damages over bombings on police property on the night of the last year’s coup attempt.

In the 197-page petition filed to Ankara 15th Criminal Court of First Instance, 661 suspects including Fetullah Gülen, Adil Öksüz, and Kemal Batmaz are accused of being jointly and severally liable for the damage.

Öksüz, a fugitive FETÖ member, is said to be among the masterminds of the defeated coup. Another key coup plotter Batmaz was arrested at the base on the morning of July 16.

The petition said buildings, data processing centers, license plate recognition systems, surveillance cameras and 186 vehicles were severely damaged in the coup attempt.

It added that the security forces had never suffered from such material damage in the country’s history.

FETÖ, led by the U.S.-based Fethullah Gülen, is widely believed to have orchestrated the July 15 coup plot, which left 250 people dead and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara accuses the FETÖ network of being behind a long-running campaign to infiltrate state institutions, particularly the military, the police and the judiciary.