ISTANBUL

A court in Istanbul remanded in custody Turkish professor, Dr. Mehmet Altan, in connection with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) probe early Thursday, a judicial source told Anadolu Agency.

Altan faces several charges, including an “attempt to overthrow the government of Republic of Turkey and prevent its function, and being a member of a terrorist organization.”

His elder brother, Ahmet Altan, who is a journalist and author, was released under judicial control. He faces an international travel ban and would also have to report to a nearby police station once a week, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

The Altan brothers had been held for allegedly giving “subliminal messages” about the coup bid during a television program a day before the July 15 incident.

Turkey's government has said the defeated coup, which left over 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his FETO network.

Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as "the parallel state".

According to the court’s decision, Mehmet Altan had openly supported FETO on television programs aired on Can Erzincan TV.

“[He] acted in accordance with the objectives of the organization in the articles he has written for various media organizations,” the court said.

It added the accused also tried to build a perception that government authorities, which were targets of the coup attempt, were “dictators, lawless”.

The court also said evidence in the case proved the suspect had called for a coup attempt during a program on Can Erzincan TV on July 14, a day before the defeated coup. 

Reporting by Murat Kaya : Writing by Handan Kazanci, Can Erozden