ISTANBUL (AP) — A court in Istanbul has ruled to keep a Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in custody pending the outcome of his trial on espionage charges and attempting to overthrow the Turkish government.

Turkey's Anadolu news agency said Friday that the trial against Metin Topuz has been adjourned until September 18.

Topuz, 59, a translator and assistant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, is accused of links to U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government blames for the 2016 coup attempt. Gulen denies those accusations.

Topuz, who faces a life sentence if convicted, has been in pre-trial detention since October 2017. His detention is one of several contentious issues between Ankara and Washington.

Another consular employee, Turkish national Mete Canturk, was released from house arrest earlier this week.