31 March 2017•Update: 03 April 2017
By Mehmet Tosun and Kemal Karadag
ANKARA
The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara on Friday called for 303-year long aggravated life sentences for each of the 45 senior Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members who were at the Akinci 4th Main Jet Base on the night of July 15 defeated coup.
In total, 481 suspects, including a general, six major generals, 18 brigadier generals, 22 colonels, 26 lieutenant colonels, 33 majors, 56 captains, 62 first lieutenants, 115 second lieutenants, 131 sergeants and a specialized sergeant from the Akinci Air Base were accused of being involved in the coup bid in the new indictment prepared by the prosecutor’s office, which was filed at the court in the capital Friday.
All suspects were accused of being FETO members.
The indictment against the suspects, which include 45 former senior air force officers were accused them of directing the foiled coup from Akinci 4th Jet Base.
The accusations include managing a number of airstrikes in the capital on July 15, including on the Turkish parliament’s building, junction and car park close to the presidential complex in Ankara’s Bestepe neighborhood, Special Forces Department building and TURKSAT satellite and communication agency in Golbasi district and a police department building.
According to the indictment, 25 F-16 jets had been used during the coup night from the base, which then carried out 11 airstrikes.
Two jet pilots were also assigned to follow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plane.
The indictment also said Adil Oksuz, regarded as the main coup plotter after U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, had used the ByLock messenger app, which is said to have been used by members of FETO during the coup attempt.
Oksuz is said to be a key figure in the coup attempt and served as an "imam" to FETO members in the Turkish Air Force. He remains on the run.
Also, Oksuz had missed a call by the U.S. consulate in Istanbul at 10.22 a.m. [0722 GMT] on July 21, 2016, six days after the coup bid, according to the indictment that cited police wiretapping records.
According to monitored mobile phone base stations, Oksuz’s phone signals were detected at 8.01 a.m. [0501 GMT] at Ankara Esenboga Airport and at 9.27 a.m. [0697 GMT] at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport on July 18.
Later, on the same day, signals were also detected from two different locations in Istanbul.
The police phone tapping records also revealed that Oksuz downloaded the Bylock on his phone on Aug. 19, 2014, the indictment added.
A total of 249 people were martyred and 2,193 others injured in the defeated coup.
According to the government, the coup was organized by followers of U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of pursuing a long-running campaign to overthrow the government through supporters within the Turkish state, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
