12 get jail terms over links to Turkey defeated coup

Turkish courts on Tuesday handed jail terms to 12 people over their links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

The 2nd High Criminal Court in the Aegean province of Izmir sentenced former official of the gendarmerie to nine years and nine months in prison for membership of an armed terrorist organization and using an encrypted smartphone messaging application ByLock.

Bylock is associated with the followers of FETO's U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, who plotted last year's defeated coup attempt in Turkey.

In another trial, Mesut Turhan, a businessman, appeared before the 13th High Criminal Court over similar charges. The court found him guilty on both charges and ruled a 9-year imprisonment.

Moreover, eight people, including health staff and doctors, were also sentenced up to six years and three months by the High Criminal Court of the central province of Kirsehir.

In addition, two people, including a former teacher, were also convicted of using ByLock and terror links in two separate cases in the Black Sea province of Kastamonu.

The Kastamonu High Criminal Court sentenced ex-teacher Mustafa Dalan to nine years in jail for three charges, including being member of an armed terror group, using ByLock app and making propaganda for the terror group.

Another defendant, Rahim Dilli, was sentenced to 6 years and three months in prison for being a member of the terror group and using ByLock.

Thousands of defendants in trials across Turkey are accused of being FETO members on the basis of using the Bylock app in the wake of the July 15 defeated coup, which left 250 people martyred.

The terror group is held accountable for being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, including police, military and judiciary.