Turkey sentences US Consulate employee to more than 8 years

ANKARA: A Turkish court on Thursday convicted an employee of the

U.S.

Consulate in

Istanbul

of membership in an armed terror organization and sentenced him to eight years and nine months in prison, the state-run

news agency

reported.

Metin Topuz, a

translator

and assistant for

the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

, has been jailed since 2017, accused of links to U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkish government blames Gulen for the 2016 coup attempt and considers his network to be a terrorist organization.

Topuz's arrest and subsequent prosecution had caused tensions between Ankara and

Washington

.

The accusations were based on the fact that he had contacts with police officers believed to be members of Gulen's vast network of followers. Topuz has maintained his innocence throughout his trial and is expected to appeal the verdict.

In his final 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 Agency

quoted Topuz as saying.

``I committed no crime and had no relations with (Gulen's network),'' he said.

Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in the U.S. since 1999, denies involvement in the coup attempt, which killed about 250 people and injured around 2,000 others.