Trio who assaulted cleric during coup accused of aiding FETÖ
Prosecutors have sought prison terms from 10 to 17 years for three suspects accused of beating a muezzin, a Muslim cleric tasked with reciting the call to prayer, on the night of July 15 when a coup attempt was under way. The indictment accepted by a court in the western city of İzmir, where the incident took place, accuses two women and one man of aiding the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which according to authorities was behind the coup attempt.
Mehmet Kuzgun was a muezzin at a mosque in İzmir's Narlıdere district when he joined others all across the country to recite the"sala," a prayer call originally used to commemorate the death of a Muslim community member. Imams and muezzins across the country recited sala that night to awaken people unaware of the coup; it was accompanied by a call to the people to take to the streets to resist.
Adil C., İlknur C.F. and Pınar D. are accused of beating Kuzgun and damaging the mosque. Security camera footage of the mosque shows the trio arguing with Kuzgun and shoving him. The footage also shows the suspects smashing the glass window of the mosque's door. Adil C. is in custody while Pınar D. was released pending trial. Adil C. is accused of membership of a terrorist group and inflicting deliberate injury while İlknur C.F. is charged with aiding and abetting FETÖ, inflicting injury and damage to property. Adil C. and Pınar D. has previously been released pending trial, while İlknur C.F., who resides abroad, was not detained and remains at large. Following public outrage over the trial, Adil C. was again detained.
Prosecutors argue that although concrete evidence on whether the suspects acted upon orders by FETÖ was not available, the timing of the incident showed their purpose and that they acted to prevent the recitation of sala ordered by a state-run religious authority for all muezzins.
The coup attempt was largely staved off thanks to strong public resistance although some civilians also helped the military officers in seizing power or at least quelling the resistance. Dozens of imams and muezzins were reportedly assaulted by civilians on the night of the coup, while pro-coup troops also tried to silence the sala recitation in some mosques.
Mehmet Kuzgun was a muezzin at a mosque in İzmir's Narlıdere district when he joined others all across the country to recite the"sala," a prayer call originally used to commemorate the death of a Muslim community member. Imams and muezzins across the country recited sala that night to awaken people unaware of the coup; it was accompanied by a call to the people to take to the streets to resist.
Adil C., İlknur C.F. and Pınar D. are accused of beating Kuzgun and damaging the mosque. Security camera footage of the mosque shows the trio arguing with Kuzgun and shoving him. The footage also shows the suspects smashing the glass window of the mosque's door. Adil C. is in custody while Pınar D. was released pending trial. Adil C. is accused of membership of a terrorist group and inflicting deliberate injury while İlknur C.F. is charged with aiding and abetting FETÖ, inflicting injury and damage to property. Adil C. and Pınar D. has previously been released pending trial, while İlknur C.F., who resides abroad, was not detained and remains at large. Following public outrage over the trial, Adil C. was again detained.
Prosecutors argue that although concrete evidence on whether the suspects acted upon orders by FETÖ was not available, the timing of the incident showed their purpose and that they acted to prevent the recitation of sala ordered by a state-run religious authority for all muezzins.
The coup attempt was largely staved off thanks to strong public resistance although some civilians also helped the military officers in seizing power or at least quelling the resistance. Dozens of imams and muezzins were reportedly assaulted by civilians on the night of the coup, while pro-coup troops also tried to silence the sala recitation in some mosques.