WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th May, 2019) The United States welcomes Turkey's decision to release from prison Turkish-American former NASA scientist Serkan Golge, State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
"We welcome the news that Serkan Golge has been released from prison today. We will continue to follow Mr. Golge's case closely, along with those involving our own locally employed staff at the mission to Turkey," Ortagus said.
Ortagus added that Washington would continue to assist Golge as he makes his return home at the earliest opportunity.
"We will continue to provide all appropriate consular services to Mr. Golge, including making sure he can return home as soon as possible," she said.
Golge was arrested by the Turkish government in 2016 on charges of being a member of the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, referred to by Ankara as the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). In 2018, he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.
Ankara has accused FETO of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey that resulted in the death of more than 250 people. The Turkish government announced a state of emergency in response to the incident and has since then arrested more than 50,000 citizens and 160,000 civil servants, including military personnel, activists, officials, journalists, legal and educational workers.
Gulen, who resides in exile in the United States, has repeatedly denied the accusations of plotting the coup.
