U.S. Consulate employee who did DEA work has trial set in TurkeyFebruary 2, 2019 - 15:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul is set to go on trial in March on charges of espionage and attempting to overthrow the Turkish government, a court decided Friday, February 1, The Associated Press reports. A court ruled to keep Metin Topuz, a translator and fixer for the Drug Enforcement Agency, in pretrial detention until trial hearings scheduled for March 26-28, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Topuz has been in custody since October 2017. The court accepted a 78-page indictment alleging Topuz had "very intense contacts" with police officers who led a 2013 corruption investigation involving top government officials and their families. The indictment called him a "terror criminal." The Turkish government alleged the investigation was a "judicial coup" attempt orchestrated by a Turkish cleric who lives in the United States and leads a network that Turkey has labeled as a terror group. The government also blames the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, for a failed 2016 military coup, but he denies involvement. Topuz told authorities he had been in touch with the officers for narcotics investigations as part of his job. The indictment said the proposed prison sentence for attempting to overthrow the government was life imprisonment and for espionage, 15 to 20 years. Topuz is also charged with privacy violations and illegally recording personal data. Topuz's lawyer, Halit Akalp, told The Associated Press his client rejects the accusations and said, "He has no links to the alleged crimes." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |