Prosecutor asks for releases in first coup trial
The prosecutor asked for the release of four among 29 suspects in Istanbul's first trial on the July 15 coup plot blamed on the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Suspects are police officers accused of aiding the pro-coup troops by disobeying orders of their superiors to resist the coup.
The release request came on the last day of week-long hearings held at the 22nd High Criminal Court located near Silivri prison where the defendants, along with other suspects in the coup attempt, are held.
The defendants six different charges, including attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of the Republic of Turkey, attempting to destroy Parliament, attempting to destroy the Republic by force, and being members of an armed terrorist organization.
At Friday's hearing the prosecutor asked for the release of four suspects - Ali Bozan, Semih Yüksel, Samet Durak and Emre Çatalbaş - after imposing a ban on leaving the country.
In the indictment, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office had sought aggravated life imprisonment for 21 of the accused, who were also allegedly using a secret smartphone messaging app called ByLock.
Turkish authorities say the app was used extensively by the FETÖ network before being cracked by Turkey's intelligence services.
Up to 15 years in prison was sought for the eight other accused police officers on the same charge sheet.
Turkish authorities have accused FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow Turkey's democratically-elected government through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the police, military and judiciary.
Turkey believes FETÖ orchestrated the July 15 coup plot that left 248 people dead and over 2,200 injured.
The release request came on the last day of week-long hearings held at the 22nd High Criminal Court located near Silivri prison where the defendants, along with other suspects in the coup attempt, are held.
The defendants six different charges, including attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of the Republic of Turkey, attempting to destroy Parliament, attempting to destroy the Republic by force, and being members of an armed terrorist organization.
At Friday's hearing the prosecutor asked for the release of four suspects - Ali Bozan, Semih Yüksel, Samet Durak and Emre Çatalbaş - after imposing a ban on leaving the country.
In the indictment, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office had sought aggravated life imprisonment for 21 of the accused, who were also allegedly using a secret smartphone messaging app called ByLock.
Turkish authorities say the app was used extensively by the FETÖ network before being cracked by Turkey's intelligence services.
Up to 15 years in prison was sought for the eight other accused police officers on the same charge sheet.
Turkish authorities have accused FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow Turkey's democratically-elected government through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the police, military and judiciary.
Turkey believes FETÖ orchestrated the July 15 coup plot that left 248 people dead and over 2,200 injured.