40 Turkish soldiers found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for attempting to kill Erdogan

40 soldiers were sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday by a court in southwestern Turkey, convicting them of charges that include attempting to kill President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during last year's failed coup.

A total of 46 suspects — 37 of them former military personnel — have been on trial since February in the city of Mugla accused of attempted assassination, violation of the constitution and other crimes against the state during the July 15, 2016, coup attempt.

The defendants were accused of using helicopters to attack the hotel in the resort of Marmaris where Erdogan and his family members were staying, killing two policemen. Erdogan had left the hotel shortly before it was attacked.

Turkey has blamed the coup on the movement led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers are accused of infiltrating the military and other state institutions. Gulen has condemned the coup attempt and denied he was involved.

State television TRT said the court acquitted one defendant, a former lieutenant-colonel.

Two others, including Erdogan's former military aide, were sentenced to 18 and 15 years in prison.

The trial against Gulen, who was named as one of the defendants, and two other defendants who are on the run, will continue separately, TRT reported.

The defendants denied the charges against them during the trial and some complained of an unfair trial while making their final statements before the verdicts were delivered, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

Other defendants insisted they were obeying orders from their superiors, the agency reported.