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Further Reading

2003 - Sledgehammer : Turkish Coup Plot

In November 2002 34% of the national vote gave the AK PARTY 363 seats in the 550-seat parliament. At that time, concerns were raised about possible military intervention in domestic affairs. Historically, when the military feels the government is moving away from secularism toward a religious government, the military has stepped in and changed the government. This influence and subtle control of the military from behind the scenes is something that must be overcome if Turkey is to continue to democratize.

In April 2003 the President, the chief of the military's General Staff, opposition party members, and high-ranking bureaucrats threatened to boycott a reception marking the 83rd anniversary of the founding of Parliament, because Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc's wife, who wears a Muslim headscarf, was listed on the invitation as co-host. Arinc later announced that his wife would not attend the event in an effort to avoid further tension. The incident marked the first time the event had been boycotted in 83 years. Arinc also drew sharp criticism from the secular elite in November 2002 for bringing his wife with him to the airport to see off President Sezer on a foreign trip.

In 2007 strong opposition by the nationalists casts doubt as to the nomination and election of Abdullah Gül, the current foreign minister and member of the Islamist majority, Justice and Development Party, to be Turkey's next president. The Turkish nationalists, who enjoy the support of the military, strongly opposed the presidency of Abdullah Gül or any other member of the Justice and Development Party to ever occupy the presidency. General Yasar Büyükanit, joint chief of the Turkish armed forces, reiterated that the elections, which had again resulted in victory for the Justice and Development Party, had not changed the military's opinion on being the protector of the secular system, and the president must besecular in deed and not just in words.

In 2007, a Turkish newspaper reported the existence of an alleged 2003 plot connived by a large group of senior military officials to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Investigations into the alleged criminal network Ergenekon continued at the end of 2009. Charges include attempting to overthrow the government and to instigate armed riots. Ammunition and weapons were discovered in the course of the investigation. A first trial, which started in October 2008, is ongoing. A second indictment, covering 56 suspects including three retired generals and a former commander of the gendarmerie, was submitted to court in March 2009. A third indictment covering 52 suspects was presented to the Court in July. The cases concerning these two indictments are discussed in one single trial, which started in July 2009 and is ongoing. This is the first case in Turkey to probe into a coup attempt and the most extensive investigation ever on an alleged criminal network aiming at destabilising the democratic institutions. Furthermore, for the first time a former Chief of Staff testified voluntarily as a witness. Concerns have been raised about effective judicial guarantees for all the suspects.

In late February 2010, Turkish prosecutors began arresting scores of current and retired military officers allegedly involved in the plot, which included plans to bomb mosques in Istanbul and provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea.

Although the plans never came to fruition, approximately 70 current and former military personnel including two Generals and five Admirals had been detained in relation to the plot, dubbed 'Sledgehammer." The army denies that Sledgehammer was a coup plan, saying it was a simulation exercise. Past arrests were made in connection with the "Ergenekon" plot, a previously alleged coup plan for which scores of individuals in Turkey on trial. However, the arrests over the last few weeks are the first specifically connected to "Sledgehammer."

Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met with multiple military officials, including Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug. Soon after the meeting, 18 additional officers (17 active, one retired) were arrested in 13 Turkish cities. AKP officials have continued to reiterate their belief that a constitutional solution will be found to the current situation in Turkey. Also of note were recent protests marking the anniversary of the February 28, 1997 unarmed military coup. The protests consisted of domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups rallying in support of the Turkish government and opposing a military takeover.

Furthermore, a noncommissioned naval officer in the northwestern province of Balikesir was arrested last week following an investigation by military prosecutors who determined he had initiated a security protocol that was insulting to the Prime Minister. The individual is currently being held in a military prison.

These events, while indicating an increased tension and fluidity in the political landscape, do not suggest the likelihood of an impending overthrow of the government. The military and political leaders acted within the confines of the Turkish Constitution and have indicated their intention to continue to do so.

The military has wielded strong influence on politics for decades, but has seen its powers dramatically curtailed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, which took steps to put the military under civilian rule. "An impaired democracy is not the fate of this country," Erdogan said. "No one is above the law, no one is untouchable, no one is privileged."

Turkey's prime minister vowed to put everyone who conspired against the country's democracy on trial. The number of military officers charged and jailed for allegedly plotting a 2003 coup against his Islamic-based government rose to 31 by 26 February 2010. The number includes seven admirals and four generals and it represents the largest-ever crackdown on the military.

In a new nationwide sweep, police detained 18 more officers, all but one of whom are still on active duty, television stations said. The officers were detained in 13 different cities and were being transferred to Istanbul, the reports said. It brought the total of officers detained to 67. The 11 officers included two active-duty admirals and one retired general. The court's decision to jail them came after prosecutors released the former chiefs of the navy and air force and another top general without immediately charging them, saying they were unlikely to flee. Police escorted more officers to the court for questioning, including Gen. Cetin Dogan, the former chief of the 1st Army based in Istanbul and Gen. Engin Alan, former head of the Special Forces.

The probe fueled tensions between the government and the fiercely secular military and shook the markets. Erdogan has dismissed calls by opposition parties for early elections. "The process under way is painstaking, but it is for the benefit of the people, today's developments are setting free the consciousness of the people," Erdogan said. "Those conspiring behind closed doors to trample on the nation's will from now on will find themselves facing justice." He added: "They should know that they won't get away with it." Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek stressed the need to overhaul the Constitution, a legacy of the 1980 military coup, to elevate democratic standards to the level of the European Union in an effort to boost Turkey's membership bid.

All suspects have reportedly denied the allegations, which include plotting to blow up mosques and kill some non-Muslim figures to foment chaos and trigger a military takeover. Wiretap evidence and the discovery of alleged plans for a military coup prompted the detentions. The recordings published on leading Web sites were allegedly conversations between ranking commanders at a military unit under Dogan's command in Istanbul.

Alan is best known for supervising the transfer of imprisoned Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan from Kenya to Turkey after his capture there in 1999. He is a highly respected commander within the military for his role in the fight against autonomy-seeking Kurdish guerrillas. Opposition leaders claim the coup probe is tinged by politics, a charge the government rejects.

It is widely believed that Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, then head of the military, did not back his subordinates. He had not been implicated in the alleged plot.

President Abdullah Gul, addressing businessmen and industrialists, tried to ease concerns over the government's showdown with the military. "Have no doubt, Turkey's future is really bright. Do not become fixed in this and become demoralized," Gul said. "All these will pass. These kinds of things happened in many countries. Our laws, rules, everything is working. Our parliament is working."

The military appeared to have concluded that its reentry into a direct role in politics would involve a risky challenge to a ruling party which enjoyed the support of a plurality of the population. On 16 December 2010, the first session of a trial of 195 suspects in the alleged "Sledgehammer" coup plan began. The suspects, who include active-duty military generals and civilians, were accused of obstructing the government and plotting to overthrow it. The trial continued at year's end. Many observers saw this trial as politically motivated, similar to the Ergenekon case, while others saw it as bringing to justice those who attempted to overthrow the government.

Throughout 2010, prosecutors in Istanbul continued to arrest and indict prominent military, business, and media personalities on charges of plotting to foment unrest and topple the elected government as members of an alleged network known as "Ergenekon." More than 250 persons were indicted by the end of 2010. Some opposition politicians, members of the press, human rights groups, and critics of the government considered many of the indictments to be politically motivated. Others, including human rights groups and some supporters of the government, claimed that the arrests had reduced pressure on journalists and human rights activists across the country. Dozens of defendants have been held for long periods, a common practice in the country, although some were released pending trial during the year.

Lengthy arrest periods before a verdict are generally a problem. The law does not set a time limit for holding suspects in custody or for completion of their trial. Judges have ordered that some suspects be held for long periods or even indefinitely without trial but with the right to come before a judge each month. The Ministry of Justice reported that the average length of time between arrest and the completion of trial was 580 days. In November 2010 the EC stated that close to half of all detainees were either awaiting trial or awaiting a final verdict on their cases. Of juveniles in detention, 88 percent were awaiting trial.