16 Defendants Including Ahmet and Mehmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak Facing 3 Life Sentences

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An indictment has been drafted for the 17 suspects arrested as a part of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) investigation including Ahmet Altan, his brother Prof. Dr. Mehmet Altan, journalist Nazlı Ilıcak and the then Editor-in-Chief of the closed Zaman daily.

The indictment covering “Role of FETÖ’s media elements in the coup attempt” prepared by prosecutor Can Tuncay from İstanbul Chief Public Prosecution Department for Terror and Organized Crimes consists of 247 pages.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the 65th Government are mentioned as plaintiffs in the indictment on the grounds that they had been offended by the crime.

The indictment demanding three life sentences for the 16 defendants out of 17 in total six of which are arrested, 10 others are fugitives has been submitted to the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court.

In case the indictment is approved, the suspects will begin standing trial in 15 days.

According to Ümit Türk’s report from Doğan News Agency (DHA), the suspects are subjected to the following crimes:

Ahmet and Mehmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak

Three aggravated life sentences was demanded for Mehmet Altan, Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak on charges of “Attempting to abolish the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or to prevent the parliament from performing its duties”, ““Attempting to abolish government of Turkey or to prevent it from performing its duties”, and “Attempting to abolish the Constitutional order”.

Furthermore, these three figures face jail term from 7.5 to 15 years in prison on charge of “Committing crime on behalf of an armed terror organization though not being a member of it” for “committing crime on behalf of the FETÖ”.

Dumanlı, Uslu and Opçin...

Three aggravated life sentences was demanded for closed Zaman daily former editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanlı, former Taraf daily columnist Emre Uslu and journalist Tuncay Opçin on charge of “coup attempt”.

Besides, from 15 to 22.5 years in prison was demanded for the three figures on charge of “Being manager of an armed terror organization”, and Uslu also faces up to 3 years in prison for “inciting people to hate and animosity”.

Samanyolu, Zaman and Today's Zaman managers and workers...

Three aggravated life sentences was demanded for Samanyolu TV’s runaway representative to Washington Şemseddin Efe, Today’s Zaman daily former editor-in-chief runaway suspect Bülent Keneş, Professor Osman Özsoy, Zaman daily Israel correspondent runaway suspect Abdulkerim Balcı, vice editor-in-chief runaway Mehmet Kamış and manager Faruk Kardıç, the daily’s visual director Fevzi Yazıcı, Police Academy academic member Şükrü Tuğrul Özşengül, Zaman daily brand director Yakup Şimşek, daily’s culture and art section writer Ali Çolak on charge of “coup attempt”. (EKN/TK/DG)