An Istanbul court has released 758 conscripted soldiers who were detained as part of the investigation into a failed military coup. Military high school students were among those released.
Image: Getty Images/O.Kose
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Out of the 989 conscripted soldiers who were detained on suspicion of being involved in the July 15 failed coup in Turkey, 758 were released on Saturday, according to a Turkish media report.
Prosecutors in the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's office recommended the release after taking their testimony, said the state-run Anadolu news agency.
An Istanbul judge ruled in favor of their release, saying their detention was unnecessary and the 758 conscripts were not a flight risk.
Military high school students were among those released on Saturday, while 231 conscripts remain in detention.
Over 9,000 people, mostly members of the military, have been arrested in the aftermath of the failed coup, according to the latest figures from Turkey's Interior Minister Efkan Ala.
The attempted military overthrow killed over 200 people and injured over 2,000.
On Friday, a group of 21 journalists detained on suspicion of being coup plotters appeared before a court in Istanbul.
Although the court freed four of them, the rest were charged with "membership of a terrorist group," reported the Anadolu news agency.
Turkey's Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, defended the arrests of reporters, saying it was necessary to distinguish between those involved with the coup and those "who are engaged in real journalism."
Turkey: The failed coup and its aftermath
Night of terror: The failed coup attempt turned Turkey into a war zone. More than 260 people have died. Does the country face the threat of a civil war?
Image: Getty Images/E.Ortac
Bloodshed by the Bosphorus
A blood covered resident of Istanbul stands near the Bosphorus Bridge. There were clashes between civilians and the army after the military had blocked the bridge. Government sources say that more than 260 people were killed in fighting during the coup attempt.
Image: Getty Images/B.Kilic
Tanks roll through streets
Tanks drove through several cities in the night in a completely surprise move. The Turkish military announced its takeover. The tracked vehicles flattened cars in the streets of Istanbul and Ankara, turning the country into a war zone.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T.Bozoglu
Lights out in parliament
After the bombing of parliament in Ankara, the building is in ruins. Fighter jets flew low over the capital and had the citizens panicking.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B.Uzun
Who owns the Republic Monument?
The army not only closed the Bosphorus Bridge: it also occupied Taksim Square, a main transportation hub in Istanbul. The soldiers positioned themselves in front of the Republic Monument.
Image: Reuters/M. Sezer
Icon of resistance
Erdogan supporters also protested on the square. A showdown began when a soldier pointed his gun at a man. The army opened fire on the protesting crowd on the square.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U.O.Simsek/
The calm after the storm
Shirts off their backs: After the failed coup attempt, rebel soldiers laid down their arms on the Bosporus Bridge and fled.
Image: Getty Images/G.Tan
Put to flight
After the armed forces had surrendered, soldiers tried to get on a bus to flee from the angry masses.
Image: Reuters/M.Sezer
Cheering crowds
President Tayyip Erdogan returned to Istanbul. Cheering crowds received him at the airport. Erdogan announced that the rebels would pay a heavy price.
Image: Reuters/H.Aldemir
It's over!
Erdogan supporters triumph and wave the Turkish flag after the army's withdrawal. The coup attempt has failed.
Image: Getty Images/G.Tan
Posing on a tank
Bizarre souvenir: A mother took a picture of her daughter on top of a tank. The tank on the Bosphorus Bridge was surrounded by Turkish police.
