4 Turkish Former Soldiers Sentenced to Life for Attempted Coup

A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced four former soldiers to life in jail for their roles in a failed 2016 bid to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state news agency Anadolu reported.

They were jailed as part of a trial of 497 suspects in Ankara looking into the presidential guard's actions during the coup attempt, which included a raid on the state broadcaster.

Ankara has long blamed Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan who lives in Pennsylvania, and launched a widespread crackdown on his network, which Ankara refers to by the acronym ‘FETO’. Gulen denies any involvement.

Since the failed coup, Turkey has detained some 292,000 people over suspected links to Gulen and has suspended or sacked more than 150,000 civil servants. Hundreds of media outlets have been shut and dozens of opposition lawmakers have been jailed.