Altan was arrested during purges that followed the coup attempt and accused of backing the uprising by “disseminating subliminal messages to the public”. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to overthrow the government – a ruling later quashed by Turkey’s top court. When the case was re-examined, he was sentenced to 10 years and six months for “knowingly supporting a terrorist organisation” that was involved in the coup bid. “Very happy to hear Turkey’s court of cassation has just ordered the release of novelist Ahmet Altan after more than 4.5 years in jail,” the European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, tweeted.