Dozens jailed for life over Turkey’s 2016 coup

ANKARA: A Turkish court jailed 27 former pilots and other suspects for life in one of the largest trials stemming from the bloody 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Fethullah Gulen, a Us-based Muslim preacher who was once an Erdogan ally, is accused of ordering the failed putsch.

His movement has been proscribed as a terrorist group by Ankara, although he strongly denies all charges.

A total of 251 people died and more than 2,000 were injured in what has turned into the defining moment of Erdogan’s rule and contemporary Turkish politics.

The country’s largest courtroom was packed with dozens of security personnel and lawyers and the presiding judge ordered one protesting defendent to “Sit down!” several times before reading the verdict.

He handed down multiple life sentences to disgruntled air force pilots who bombed the capital Ankara and civilians who orchestrated the coup atempt from inside the Akinci military base near the capital.

They were convicted of crimes including murder, atempting to violate the constitutional order and atempting to assassinate Erdogan.

“Justice has been served,” Ufuk Yegin, who represents a victims’ families association, told

AFP ater the verdict was read.

“We believe the punishments were given in accordance with existing laws.”

The then chief of staff general Hulusi Akar - now the defence minister - and other top commanders were held hostage at the military base for one night before their rescue on the morning of July 16.

The parliament was hit thrice by F-16 fighter jets, as was the road near the presidential palace and the headquarters of the special forces and the Ankara police.

Erdogan was on vacation in southern Turkey at the time.

The bombs killed 68 people in the capital and injured more than 200. Nine civilians also died trying to stop the ploters at the entrance to the base.

Gulen, Adil Oksuz - a theology lecturer whom officials claim was a key co-ordinator of what was happening on the ground - and four others are being tried in absentia.

Oksuz was detained shortly ater the coup bid but released later and is now on the run.

Thursday’s verdicts culminates a trial that began in August 2017 and involves a total of 475 suspects.

The Anadolu state news agency said 365 were already being held in pre-trial detention.