Court releases two former Erdoğan aides accused of 2016 coup involvement

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A Turkish court has released President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's two former aides who are accused of being involved in the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt.

Mete Semercioğlu and Erkan Kıvrak were released in the hearing on July 3, some three months after another one of his aides, Şafak Deliacı, was released, daily Cumhuriyet reported on July 7.

Both Semercioğlu and Kıvrak are accused of helping a team that planned to assassinate Erdoğan during the botched takeover, which is widely believed to have been masterminded by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.

The former aides allegedly told the assassination team the whereabouts of Erdoğan.

They are also accused of "aiding the attempt to violate the constitution."

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During the hearing of a case regarding the takeover bid that was held at Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court, the prosecutor sought aggravated life sentences for 90 suspects, while also seeking up to 20 years in jail for 134 suspects over "aiding the coup attempt," including Semercioğlu, Kıvrak and Deliacı.

The final opinion of the prosecutor said that the aforementioned aides held a meeting with Erdoğan's former aide-de-camp Col. Ali Yazıcı on July 14 - a day before the coup attempt - and decided to notify the assassination unit on the whereabouts of the president.

The court, however, released both Semercioğlu and Kıvrak.

Yazıcı was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment following the coup bid.