ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court sentenced U.S. consulate employee Metin Topuz to 8 years and 9 months in jail for aiding a terrorist organisation, state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Thursday.
The case has been one of several sources of strain between Ankara and Washington. In March, prosecutors said Topuz should be acquitted on charges of espionage and trying to overthrow the government, but should face jail on a lesser charge of belonging to a terrorist organisation.
Topuz was accused of links to officials who led a 2013 corruption investigation and were later found to be members of a network blamed for a failed 2016 military coup.
(Reporting by Daren Butler; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen)
