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Prosecutors demand two life sentences for Fethullah Gulen

The Turkish government also accused cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S., of being behind the coup attempt – and has sharply criticized the USA for its reluctance to extradite Gulen.

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All face prison terms ranging from two years to life in jail.

Turkey blames the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, for the July 15 failed putsch and wants the United States to extradite him.

In the more than 2,500-page indictment accepted by the court in Usak on Tuesday, Gulen and 111 other suspects are accused of transferring funds obtained through charities or donations to the United States via “front” companies, Anadolu said.

The government says the attempted coup, which led to at least 270 deaths, was carried out by followers of the movement led by USA -based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who have infiltrated the military and other state institutions.

Wednesday’s decrees also allow the air force to hire new pilots or take back pilots who had resigned or were discharged before the coup to replace pilots who have been arrested or dismissed for alleged participation in the coup or links to Gulen.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Iran next week for a trilateral meeting with Iranian and Russian officials to discuss ways to pursue the end of the Syrian Civil War, Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, citing reports in Arabic-language news outlets. The report comes after Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey needed to improve its ties with Damascus.

According to local NTV, they also exchanged opinions on the current developments in Syria, including the situation in Manbij and Aleppo.

The government says the coup was the work of followers of Gulen’s religious movement, who allegedly have infiltrated the military over the years.

Some 35,000 people have been detained for questioning and more than 17,000 of them have been formally arrested to face trial, including soldiers, police, judges and journalists.

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From his secluded Pennsylvania base, Gulen has vehemently denied playing any part in the coup.

Turkey dismisses more than 2,000 police officers over coup bid