A Turkish court today sentenced 27 defendants to life imprisonment at the conclusion of the main trial of those involved in the failed coup attempt that took place in the summer of 2016 against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The French Press Agency reported that these defendants were convicted in particular of "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order", "attempting to assassinate the president" and "premeditated murder."
More than 250 people were killed in an attempt to topple the government on July 15, 2016, when soldiers seized warplanes, helicopters and tanks as they sought to control key state institutions and topple the Erdogan government.
This trial is considered the most prominent among dozens of cases considered by the courts and targets thousands of people accused of being involved in the coup attempt, which Ankara accuses supporters of the Islamic preacher residing in the United States, Fethullah Gulen, of being behind it.
The former air force commander, Akin Ozturk, and others at Akinci Air Force Base near Ankara were accused of leading the coup, bombing government buildings including parliament, and attempting to assassinate Erdogan.
During the arrest of one of the participants in the failed coup attempt in Turkey (Al-Jazeera - Archive)
The most severe punishment
F-16 fighter pilots were also among those sentenced to severe life imprisonment, the most severe punishment in Turkish courts, which means that there is no possibility of parole.
The Turkish army chief at the time, now the defense minister, Hulusi Akar and other commanders were held for several hours at the base on the night of the coup.
475 people are on trial, of whom 365 are in detention.
Anadolu Agency quoted Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu as saying that about 292,000 people were arrested due to alleged links with Gulen, and 100,000 of them were detained pending trial.
Turkey blames the US-based Fethullah Gulen for the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and sentenced thousands of people with links to the man to prison.
Gulen - who was a former ally of Erdogan - denies any role in the failed attempt that left 251 people dead and more than 2,000 wounded.