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A Turkish-American NASA scientist who visited his family during the 2016 coup has been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on terrorism charges:
Serkan Golge, a Turkish-American research scientist at NASA in Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 7.5 years in a Turkish prison Thursday on terrorism charges. The verdict, which has been condemned by the U.S. government, has put his career on hold and left his family and friends reeling. "I feel like this cannot be real," his wife Kubra Golge, who was inside the courtroom when her husband's verdict was read, tells Science.
At a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said the United States is "deeply concerned" by Golge's conviction, which came "without credible evidence." The spokesperson said the U.S. government would continue to follow his case closely. A spokesperson for Turkey's foreign ministry dismissed the criticism in a statement posted to its website and said the court's decision must be respected.
Golge, a dual citizen who had been studying the effects of radiation on astronauts, was swept up in a crackdown that followed Turkey's 2016 failed military coup. While visiting family in southern Turkey weeks after the putsch attempt, police showed up to his parents' home and arrested him in front of his wife and children. According to Golge's wife, a distant relative who was angered over an inheritance dispute told police Golge was a spy and supporter of Fethullah Gülen, the Islamic cleric who Turkey accuses of masterminding the coup.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by budgenator on Wednesday February 14 2018, @09:51PM (2 children)
I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to get Turkey provoked into attacking the US. They've already shot down a Russian fighter near their border.
Turkey's downing of Russian warplane - what we know [bbc.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday February 15 2018, @01:03AM
That's what NATO is for. To shoot down Russians.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday February 15 2018, @01:09PM
The Russian aircraft had entered Turkish airspace, at least according to Turkey which was backed up by NATO radio recordings and radar data. Every nation has the right to protect its airspace.
However, NATO aircraft are not seen as being an enemy and regularly enter Turkish airspace. If you cannot see the difference between the treatment of a NATO aircraft and a Russian aircraft operating within Turkish airspace then there is little to be discussed between us.
If Turkey, for some inconceivable reason, did shoot down a US aircraft then I would not expect a military response but a significant political and diplomatic attempt to resolve the situation. Aggression is NOT the answer to everything that upsets you.