Jail terms given in Erdogan's office bugging case

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz and Serdar Açıl

ANKARA

A court in Ankara on Thursday sentenced 10 Fetullah Terrorist Organization-linked convicts to several jail terms for illegally bugging the office of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2014 while he was prime minister.

Sedat Zavar, a former deputy chief of police intelligence department, was sentenced to 54 years and six months in prison on the charges of being a member of the armed terrorist organization, violation of dwelling immunity, embezzlement, obtaining information about security of the state for political spying and violation of confidentiality of communication.

Ilker Usta, a former police officer of police intelligence department was given 50 years and six months on the same charges.

Ahmet Turer, a former police chief was sentenced to 13 years and six months on the charges of being a member of the armed terrorist organization, while Erdogan's former chief bodyguard Mehmet Yuksel was given eight months for misconduct.

Former deputy head of president's guards, Zeki Bulut, was sentenced to 11 years and four months for being of the armed terrorist organization, misconduct and.

Omer Altiparmak, former head of police intelligence department, was sentenced to 15 years and six months for being a member of the armed terrorist organization, misconduct embezzlement.

Former President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey or TUBITAK Hasan Palaz was given 12-year jail term over forgery of official documents and destroying, hiding or tampering the evidence of a crime.

A former staff of TUBITAK Gokhan Vicil was handed 12 years in prison on the same charges.

Another former staffer of TUBITAK Marmara Research Center Hamza Turhan was sentenced to 21 years in prison for being a member of the terrorist organization, forgery of official documents, destroying, hiding or tampering the evidence of a crime.