Turkish public decries life sentences for young cadets
A spate of life sentences handed down to young Turkish military cadets involving the 2016 coup attempt seems disproportionately harsh, especially as some top officers received short sentences.
Among the convictions that Turkish courts have issued involving the 2016 coup attempt, life sentences handed down to military academy cadets stand out as the most lopsided punishment, given the role the young people played on the night of the putsch.
More than 400 cadets, ages 19-22, remain behind bars over the coup attempt, which Ankara blames on followers of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen, who resides in the United States, denies any involvement.
