Court of Cassation upholds sentences for 'Peace at Home Council' members: 138 life sentences each
The Court of Cassation has upheld the prison sentences handed down in the General Staff 'Main Case' regarding FETÖ's July 15 coup attempt. 17 defendants were sentenced to 138 aggravated life sentences each and 416 years in prison each.
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The 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation has decided to uphold the 138 aggravated life sentences each given to 17 defendants, including former General Akın Öztürk, in the General Staff 'Main Case' regarding the Fetullah Terrorist Organization's (FETÖ) July 15 coup attempt.
138 AGGRAVATED LIFE SENTENCES FOR 17 DEFENDANTS
The Chamber completed its appellate review of the verdict rendered by the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court on June 20, 2019.
Accordingly, the 138 aggravated life sentences each—handed down for the crimes of "violating the constitution," "assassination attempt against the President," and 136 counts of "intentional homicide"—were upheld for the defendants identified as members of the so-called Peace at Home Council and deemed the "leaders" and "principal perpetrators" of the coup attempt: former Air Force Commander and Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) member former General Akın Öztürk, former Major Generals Kubilay Selçuk and Mehmet Dişli, former Brigadier Generals Hakan Evrim, Erhan Caha, Mehmet Partigöç, and Ali Osman Gürcan, former Rear Admirals Ömer Faruk Harmancık and Sinan Sürer, and former Colonels Bilal Akyüz, Cemil Turhan, Fırat Alakuş, Ahmet Özçetin, Murat Koçyiğit, Orhan Yıkılkan, Osman Kılıç, and Muhsin Kutsi Barış.
SENTENCES FOR 26 COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED INTENTIONAL HOMICIDE
It was also decided to uphold the 416-year prison sentences given to these defendants for 26 counts of "attempted intentional homicide."
The case against former Colonel Mustafa Barış Avıalan, who was sentenced to the same penalties as these defendants but passed away after the local court's verdict was announced, was dismissed.
The prison sentences given by the local court to these defendants regarding the "intentional homicide" of 3 victims were overturned, with the instruction that a trial must be conducted regarding "homicide with probable intent."