A court in the Turkish biggest city of Istanbul acquitted on Monday opposition journalist Mehmet Altan as well as two more public figures - Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak - who had been arrested over suspected links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, national media reported
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2019) A court in the Turkish biggest city of Istanbul acquitted on Monday opposition journalist Mehmet Altan as well as two more public figures - Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak - who had been arrested over suspected links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, national media reported.In February 2018, a court gave all the three people life sentences over alleged support for Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of masterminding the 2016 coup attempt. Later, the Constitutional Court ordered their release, but the Supreme Court left them jailed.
On Monday, the court decided to acquit Mehmet Altan, while Ahmet Altan and Ilicak faced 10.5 year and 8 year and 9 month suspended sentences, respectively, the Anadolu news agency reported.
The coup attempt, which mainly involved Turkish servicemen, took place across the country on July 15, 2016. Most of the struggle happened in the capital of Ankara and Istanbul. More than 240 Turkish citizens were killed and over 2,000 wounded during the unsuccessful military takeover. Ankara accused Gulen of masterminding the coup while the cleric refuted the allegations.
