Turkish prosecutor seeks jail terms for terror suspects

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA

A public prosecutor on Monday demanded aggravated life sentences for 15 suspects who were arrested on terror charges as part of their alleged involvement in last year’s deadly coup attempt.

In the ongoing trial at the 23rd Istanbul High Criminal Court, the suspects face several charges including being a member of a terrorist organization and attempting to overthrow the Republic of Turkey.

These suspects were allegedly part of a group that attempted to occupy the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s Istanbul provincial headquarters during the night of the defeated coup.

Moreover, Turkish courts convicted a total of 31 people for links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, or FETO -- the group behind last year's defeated coup attempt.

The High Criminal Court in the northern Samsun province sentenced a former judge to six years and three months in prison and two other suspects in the Rize province to six years and three months and six years and 10 months for being members of an armed terrorist organization.

Three more suspects in Samsun were sentenced to jail terms ranging from one year and six months to six years and three months.

In the southern Antalya province, the 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced a person to 10 years and six months in prison.

Meanwhile, 17 ex-police officers, also in Antalya, were handed sentences going from three years and five months to eight years and five months.

The 5th High Criminal Court in the southeastern Diyarbakir province sentenced a former commander to six years and three months in prison.

In the capital Ankara, four suspects were convicted for leaking the civil service recruitment exam -- known as the KPSS – questions in 2010, from which FETO members benefited, allowing them to eventually infiltrate state institutions.

In four different hearings, the suspects were sentenced to jail terms varying between three and over six years in jail.

The former deputy governor for the eastern Erzurum province was also jailed for six years and three months, while a former judge was sentenced to eight years and nine months.