Former Turkish President Charged in Military Coup
VOA News January 10, 2012
A Turkish court has approved the indictment for "crimes against the state" of a former Turkish president who came to power in a military coup.
The state-run Anatolia news agency reported Tuesday the court accepted the indictment of Kenan Evren, as well as a co-conspirator in the coup, former air force chief Tahsin Sahinkaya.
The ruling brings them closer to standing trial for crimes related to a 1980 military coup. Prosecutors have been seeking life in prison for both men.
Evren led the coup before serving as Turkey's president until 1989. Calls for him to stand trial began after constitutional amendments passed in 2010 lifted immunity for the coup leaders.
Evren, who is 94 years old, and Sahinkaya, who is 86, are the only other living members of Evren's military junta.
The coup leaders were initially hailed as heroes, but subsequently resorted to torture, disappearances and restricting freedom.
The 1980 coup was the third in Turkey's history, although authorities have been investigating what they say was a 2003 military plot to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On Friday, Turkish authorities arrested former army chief General Ilker Basbug over the alleged plot known as Ergenekon, a secularist network the government alleges was planning bombings and other attacks to discredit the government and trigger a military coup.
Turkish media reports last week said the retired general was called to answer questions in connection with a trial of current and former officers linked to Ergenekon.
Turkish authorities have detained more than 300 people including journalists, academics and politicians as part of a wide-reaching investigation into Ergenekon.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
