A Turkish Employee of the US Consulate Convicted in Istanbul

A Turkish employee of the US Consulate in Istanbul, Metin Topuz, has been sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in prison for helping a terrorist organization.

 

The trial of Topuz is part of frictions between Washington and Ankara. The two powers also have lingering arguments over Syria and Turkish arms purchases in Russia.

The US embassy in Ankara immediately stated that it was disappointed because no evidence had been furnished against Topuz.

Hopefully, the verdict will be reviewed soon, the embassy said.

Since a failed coup in 2016, President Erdogan’s government has been vigorously prosecuting a move by an old political rival, American-based Fethullah Gülen.

Erdogan accuses him of being behind the failed coup and has labelled the movement as terrorist.