Islam and politics

The former district governors were detained on the beginning of April  on charges of links to the Gulen movement

Ahmet Altan at a press conference for the Leipzig Media Award 2009 ceremony in Leipzig, October 2009. Photo: EPA/JAN WOITAS

Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals on April 14 overturned a decision on journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilıcak, who were given jail time for links to the FETÖ.

Ilıcak had been sentenced to eight years and nine months and Altan had gotten 10 years and six months in prison for aiding the terror group, which was behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey

Members of Turkey's parliament at a meeting at the Grand National Assembly in Ankara, 2 January 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/STR

The bill was passed by the votes of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP and by MPs from his far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party, MHP.

A Turkish court on April 7 handed down aggravated life sentences to several convicts for their involvement in the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to judicial sources.

Turkey blocked the assets of 377 people early on April 7, including ringleaders and 'high-ranking executives' of the PKK and FETÖ terrorist organizations.

Turkey on March 31 strongly criticized the Turkey section of the U.S.' annual human rights report, calling it "unfounded" and "far from being objective."

A Turkish flag  in Istanbul, May 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

Prosecutors in the cities of Izmir and Ankara ordered the arrests based on information from the Turkish National Intelligence Agency, alleging that the suspects have links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of mounting a failed coup in 2016.

Turkey's Supreme Court on March 20 upheld the prison sentence handed to a former Constitutional Court (AYM) member for being a member of the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt.

With the approval of the Supreme Court Criminal General Board, Erdal Tercan will serve 10 years, seven months and 15 days in prison.

It is observed that Greece has become a haven for the members of the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on March 12. 

Hami Aksoy responded to a question in a written statement and said FETÖ propaganda was made public in an online event held in Greece.