Turkish court releases three suspected members of banned far-left group

A Turkish court on Friday acquitted two of three defendants accused of being members of an outlawed far-left DHKP-C militant group.

The third, Nuriye Gulmen, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

The case gained notoriety because two of the three accused went on hunger strike.

However, the Ankara court allowed Gulmen to be released from custody on probation pending an appeal against her sentence.

Gulmen was expelled from her profession due to her suspected ties to the DHKP-C, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

The DHKP-C has carried out sporadic attacks in Turkey in recent years, including a suicide bombing at the US embassy in Ankara in February 2013. The group was also behind the killing of prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz at a courthouse in Istanbul in March 2015.

Gulmen was expected to be released later on Friday from the hospital where she has been since authorities transferred her into intensive care in September.

Semih Ozakca, who was also on trial and on hunger strike with Gulmen, was acquitted of the same charge of belonging to the group.

Acun Karadag, who faced the same charges but did not go on hunger strike, was also acquitted.

Ozakca and Karadag were released from prison in October. The two men and Gulmen all denied the charges.

Gulmen's lawyer, Omer Faruk Eminagaoglu, said she is protesting against the decision to dismiss her from her job.