An Istanbul court sentenced 70 former cadets to life imprisonment on charges of coup attempt in 2016, Sozcu reported. They have been accused of violating the constitution.

Turkish authorities accuse Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has lived in Pennsylvania for the past 20 years, of organizing this coup attempt.

A total of 3,879 defendants have been sentenced to prison in connection with the Gulen movement.

After the coup attempt, the government also closed the military academies, and founded the National Defense University.