Heavy life sentences sought for 18 FETO suspects

By Baris Kilic and Ertugrul Subasi

ANKARA

An Ankara prosecutor is seeking aggravated life sentences for the 18 defendants involved in the murder of an anti-putschist Turkish soldier during the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkey, a judicial source said Monday.

Omer Halisdemir -- who was martyred during the coup attempt night after he shot dead a senior putschist leader -- became the symbol of the Turkish nation's resistance against the defeated coup bid.

Halisdemir shot pro-coup Brig. Gen. Semih Terzi in the head after the latter attempted to seize control of the Special Forces Command in the capital Ankara. Pro-coup soldiers later martyred Halisdemir.

Prosecutor Mustafa Manga demanded aggravated life sentences for the defendants, who are accused of attempting to violate the constitutional order.

During the hearing held at the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court, the prosecutor also asked the court to slap defendants Fatih Sahin and Mihrali Atmaca with an extra term of life imprisonment without possibility of parole for the intentional killing of Halisdemir.

According to the Turkish government, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.