How an unwitting cadet became a victim of Turkiye’s anti-coup crackdown

Officer cadet Alper Kalin has spent a decade in prison after being caught in the middle of Turkey's 2016 failed coup attempt. Despite being an unwitting participant during a military exercise, he was convicted for his alleged role in the uprising.
Why it matters
The case illustrates the human cost and legal fallout of Turkey's extensive anti-coup crackdown, which affected many individuals who were not primary conspirators.
On July 15, 2016, officer cadet Alper Kalin was about to leave his base in Ankara for a friend’s wedding when he was told to stay behind for an anti-terrorism exercise.
The reporting focuses on the personal narrative of the cadet and his family, maintaining a neutral tone regarding the judicial process.
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