Turkish court convicts four suspects over FETÖ links

An Istanbul court convicted four people, Wednesday, including relatives of top FETÖ suspect Adil Öksüz, for their links to the Fetullah Terrorist organization.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) is the network behind last year’s defeated coup in Turkey, according to an Anadolu Agency journalist who followed the court hearings.

Öksüz, a fugitive FETÖ member, is believed the top second civilian of the coup attempt who was the Imam (leader) of the FETÖ network inside the Turkish air forces.

The 14th High Criminal Court in Istanbul sentenced Sami Yildirim, brother-in-law of Öksüz, for seven and a half years under the charge of being a member of an armed terrorist organization.

The other three defendants, including Öksüz’s brother-in-law journalist Erdal Sen, were also found guilty by the court of the same charge and sentenced to six years and three months imprisonment for each.

The FETÖ terror network and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, that left 250 people martyred and some 2,200 injured.

FETÖ is also behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.