A Turkish prosecutor is seeking up to 15 years for a Turkish employee of the US consulate in Istanbul for his alleged links to Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Sunni preacher who is accused of masterminding the failed 2016 coup.
Metin Topuz, a veteran translator for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, was arrested in October 2017 on charges of membership of the so-called Gulenist Terror Group or FETO, sparking a diplomatic row between the NATO allies and a temporary freeze on visa services for Turkish nationals at US missions in Turkey. Topuz and the US government deny all the accusations.
In today’s hearing, however, the prosecutor dropped separate espionage and coup-plotting charges against Topuz that carry a 35-year sentence, citing insufficient evidence. He denied the defense’s demands that Topuz be released pending trial.
Topuz is accused of “intense contact” with Turkish police officers who led a massive corruption probe in December 2013 against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his family and of his cabinet. He said that interacting with the police force was part of his routine duties.
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