145 defendants are being retried in the FET case

The detained defendants and their lawyers attended the hearing held by the Sakarya 2nd High Criminal Court in the hall inside the penal institution in Ferizli district.

In the trial, the defendants and their lawyers and the public prosecutor sentenced 120 defendants to increased life imprisonment for the crime of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order”, 17 defendants were sentenced to imprisonment from 15 to 20 years for the crime of “aiding the attempt to overthrow the constitutional order”, 1 person was acquitted and 7 defendants were sentenced to imprisonment for “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order”. Defenses continued to be taken against the defendant’s opinion that his file should be separated.

The detained defendant AC stated that he repeated his previous defenses and did not accept the opinion, and that he was working as a petty officer on the date of the incident.

Claiming that the commander on the day of the coup attempt called and told him that an alarm had been given and that he had to put on his uniform and come to the barracks, AC said, “When we went to the barracks, we were told that there was a terrorist attack and that we should take weapons and ammunition. I was not there when Uur Cokun read the declaration. We were quickly taken to the Governor’s Office, where we were standing near the garden wall.” “I started to wait outside. I did not prevent the citizens who came to prevent the coup attempt, I went there to avoid being confronted by the public. I took refuge in Yenikent Police Station. I was not involved in the planning of the coup attempt, I have no contact with FET.” He made his defense.

The detained defendant claimed that the former Deputy Commander of the 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade in BiH, Infantry Staff Colonel Uur Cokun, was not there when he read the martial law directive, and that he was also taken to the governor’s office for the same reasons, and that he hid in order not to interfere with the events after hearing the announcement of the coup.

The detained defendant CB also stated that they were alerted and summoned to the police station, and argued that he did not go to the area where the coup declaration was read, that he did not comply with Ahmet Zer’s order that the administration was seized in the Governor’s Office and did not prevent the citizens from entering the campus, and that he did not confront the citizens or the police.

The detained defendants, CGA, CB and D., also stated that they did not accept the accusations and claimed that they did not take any action when they realized that they had been deceived in the Governorship, where they went with terrorist alarm.

Other detained defendants A., BK, CU and AB also rejected the accusations and requested acquittal and release.

The defendants’ lawyer also stated that he did not agree with the public prosecutor’s opinion regarding conviction and requested the release and acquittal of his clients.

The court adjourned until tomorrow to continue taking defense statements.

– CASE PROCESS

After the decision given by the Sakarya 2nd High Criminal Court on 15 August 2018 in the case of 222 defendants was found to be lawful by the 27th Criminal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice, some defendants and other lawyers appealed the file.

The 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals, which completed the appeal review regarding the local court’s decision, approved the increased life imprisonment sentences given to former 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade Deputy Commander Infantry Staff Colonel Uur Cokun and former Colonel Ahmet zer on the charge of “attempting to abolish the constitutional order”.

The Supreme Court, which approved the 12 years and six months prison sentence given to the defendants Fatih Gum, Hakan Gler and Emrah Boyal for the crime of “aiding an attempt to overthrow the constitutional order”, sentenced the defendant Ismail Enyz to 6 years and 3 months for the crime of “membership in an armed terrorist organization”. He also found it suitable.

The 3rd Criminal Chamber also approved the acquittal of 71 defendants, including Enyz, on the charge of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order”.

The Supreme Court overturned the acquittals given to 94 people on the charge of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” and the convictions given to 52 people on the charge of “aiding attempts to overthrow the constitutional order”.

The Sakarya 2nd High Court ruled to separate the files of former soldiers Uur Cokun and Ahmet zer, whose increased life imprisonment sentences for “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” were approved following the decision of the Supreme Court, and 1 undetained defendant who passed away.