27 pilots involved in failed military coup sentenced to life imprisonment

27 former pilots and other suspects were sentenced to life in prison for the failed military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused followers of a religious preacher named Mohammad Fethullah Gulen of attempting the coup.

Fethullah Gülen lives in a small town in the US state of Pennsylvania, who was once an ally of Erdogan but now lives in exile in America.

The failed coup in 2016 left at least 251 people dead and over 2,000 injured and marked a turning point for Erdogan’s power and contemporary leadership.

According to news agency AFP, the country’s largest court was packed with dozens of security forces and lawyers, and the head of the bench hearing the case ordered a protester to sit down. The decision was read out.

The judge sentenced the air force pilots who bombed the capital, Ankara, and civilians, to life in prison as part of a coup attempt.

These people were accused of murder, breaking the constitution and trying to kill Erdogan.

A lawyer representing the victim’s families said that justice has been done today, we believe that the sentences were given according to the existing laws and we are satisfied.

During this failed coup attempt, the then Chief of General Staff Hulsi Akar and other top commanders were held in custody overnight at the military base, after which they were released on the morning of July 16. was

F-16s bombed the parliament, a road near the presidential palace, military headquarters and the Ankara police headquarters three times.

At the time of the attack, President Tayyip Erdogan was on vacation in southern Turkey.

At least 68 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the airstrikes, while nine people who tried to prevent the plotters from entering the military base were also killed.

It should be noted that Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 so that it could join the European Union, but this resulted in the introduction of extremely harsh life sentences, which have often been raised by human rights organizations.