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Leaders of Turkey's 1980 Coup on Trial in Ankara

April 04, 2012

Dorian Jones | Istanbul, Turkey

Two surviving leaders of Turkey's 1980 coup have gone on trial in Ankara. The case is being heralded as a landmark in democracy in Turkey and the symbolic end of the army's long tradition of meddling in politics.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse in the capital. They support the criminal charges against the two elderly generals and called for prosecution of more of those who played prominent roles in the coup.

In a rare display of unity, all main political parties here have welcomed the trial. Turkey's upheaval nearly 32 years ago produced years of torture, executions and disappearances.

Pictures of coup victims were on display pictures Wednesday outside the court building where proceedings began against Kenan Evren, 94, and former air force chief Tahsin Sahinkaya.

The two men are charged with crimes against the constitution, which could lead to life prison sentences. Both are in poor health, and they were not in court.

On the streets of Istanbul there is support for the prosecution.

"It is symbolically important," one man said. "It is a benchmark moment that they are being tried, but it's not enough." He says more steps must be taken to punish those responsible for the coup.

One woman supports the trial but says she does not believe there is an open-and-shut case against Evren and Sahinkaya.

"It's a good thing, because many lives are ruined because of [their] actions," she said. "But I would say this was necessary at the time's conditions. So it's for the judge to decide."

General Evren was head of Turkey's armed forces in 1980 when he announced on September 12 that the army had seized control of the country. They had broad public support at first, because their action ended years of political violence.

But the brutality that followed cast a dark stain on Turkish history: 650,000 people were detained and nearly a quarter of a million were tried in military courts. 49 people were executed, the youngest 17 years old, and hundreds of others disappeared.

During three years of military rule thousands of prisoners were tortured. Defne Sandalye recalled her treatment:

"I was arrested twice after the coup d'etat," she said. "I spent most of my time at the interrogation center, which was the torture center. First time, I was there for a month, and then I was released, and then five months later, I was arrested again. Then I spent [another] three-and-a-half months in the torture center."

Bringing charges against the coup leaders is seen as an important gesture toward their victims, but some say this trial does not go far enough.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch welcomes the prosecution but criticizes the charges' narrow focus, examining only whether the coup was legal.

"The generals also should be on trial for severe, gross violations of human rights - maybe amounting to crimes against humanity - for a systematic practice of torture in custody and prisons after the coup, and to bring justice for the victims of all those arrests and interrogations," said Emma Sinclair Webb, who is the rights group's Turkish representative.

Even so, many people in Turkey see the prosecution as a landmark for national democracy. Such legal action would have been unthinkable until recently, due to the army's almost untouchable status in Turkish society. Charges against Evren and Sahinkaya became possible only after passage of a vote to amend the constitution and lift the generals' immunity.

Political scientist Cengiz Avatar of Bahcesehir University says the case is not only important for justice but also for the current democratization process in Turkey.

"These generals have done everything to make sure that they will not go on trial afterward," he said. "So it's very important, because the 1980 coup has done a great deal of damage to life in this country. I would put it to the benefit of the demilitarization process in this country."

Turkey's army has a long history of meddling in politics. Since 1960, the military has forced four governments to leave office - most recently in 1997. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his current government, in power for the past decade, have forced the army to leave the political arena and return to its barracks.

Many serving generals are currently on trial for plots against the present government. This latest case not only closes one of Turkey's darkest chapters, but also is seen as seen another important step for its democracy.