A Turkish court on Thursday convicted a US Consulate General employee in İstanbul of membership in an armed terrorist organization and sentenced him to eight years and nine months in prison, The Associated Press reported, citing local media.
Metin Topuz, a translator and assistant for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, has been jailed since 2017, accused of links to US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen. The Turkish government blames Gülen and his followers for a 2016 coup attempt. Gülen denies any involvement.
Topuz’s arrest and subsequent prosecution caused tensions between Ankara and Washington.
The accusations were based on his contacts with police officers believed to be members of Gülen’s vast network of followers. Topuz has maintained his innocence throughout his trial and is expected to appeal the verdict.
The US Embassy in Ankara expressed disappointment at the court decision.
“We have seen no credible evidence to support his conviction and hope it will swiftly be overturned,” the embassy said on its official Twitter account.
In his concluding words in his own defense before the verdict, Topuz told the court that he had been in contact with Turkish police, paramilitary police and customs officials as part of his job with the DEA and had no way of knowing that these officials were involved in criminal acts.
“As part of my duty with the DEA, under the instructions and observation of my superiors, I had thousands of contacts with 309 law enforcement officials to prevent crime,” the state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Topuz as saying.
“I committed no crime and had no relations with [Gülen’s movement],” he said.
The US Embassy said: “For nearly three decades, Mr. Topuz performed outstanding work appreciated and lauded by officials and citizens of both countries. Under our direction, he promoted law enforcement cooperation between Turkey and the U.S., contributing to the safety of people in both nations.”
