Turkey frees 1,200 soldiers detained after coup bid

Jul 23, 2016

There have been fears that many of the over 7,400 soldiers detained in the wake of the coup were young conscripts who had no idea what was going on

Turkey has freed 1,200 soldiers detained after the failed military coup, a top prosecutor said on Saturday, in its first major release of suspects amid global criticism of the crackdown.

Those released were privates, Ankara's chief prosecutor Harun Kodalak was quoted as saying by Turkish media, adding that the authorities were seeking to swiftly sort out those who had fired on the people from those who did not.

 

  man holds up a photo of urkeys resident ecep ayyip rdogan during a rordogan rally in aksim square in stanbul on uly 22 2016 A man holds up a photo of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a Pro-Erdogan rally in Taksim square in Istanbul on July 22, 2016

There have been fears that many of the over 7,400 soldiers detained in the wake of the coup were young conscripts who had no idea what was going on.

"We are committed to moving forward with the legal process diligently," said a Turkish official, confirming the prosecutor's comments on the release.

"No innocent person shall be punished. And the courts will make those decisions."

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