17 October 2016•Update: 18 October 2016
By Baris Kilic and Zafer Fatih Beyaz
ANKARA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday filed a complaint against the alleged members of a squad who attempted to assassinate him on the night of the July 15 coup attempt.
The president, who was vacationing in southwestern Mugla province at the time, had departed for Istanbul after being alerted about the coup bid and narrowly escaped an armed attack on the hotel he was staying in Marmaris. The hotel was bombed 15 minutes after his departure.
"As part of the July 15 coup attempt by Fetullah Terrorist Organization members, the suspects organized a military operation against our President on the same night when he was in Marmaris", said the petition filed by Erdogan's lawyer.
The suspects attempted to eliminate Erdogan in accordance with the orders of the terrorist organization's leader residing in the U.S., the petition said, referring to Fetullah Gulen.
"It is obvious that the suspects not only aimed to assassinate the President and violate the Constitution, but they also attempted to undermine the state's independence and unity by creating chaos across Turkey," it added.
The suspects are charged with attempting to assassinate the Turkish President, violating the Constitution, undermining the unity and integrity of the state, and being members of a terrorist organization.
Out of 36 soldiers captured in connection with the assassination attempt, at least 23 have been remanded in custody.
Turkey accuses Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, of organizing the defeated coup as well as a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
The defeated coup left 241 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
