A Turkish court ruled Friday that 133 current and former military officers must be jailed pending the outcome of their trial on charges of plotting to overthrow the government and issued warrants for the arrests of 29 other officers, Anatolia news agency reported.
Security forces immediately closed all courthouse doors and detained the defendants, including the former air force and navy chiefs, broadcaster NTV reported. The officers began chanting military songs to protest the court's decision, the TV station reported.
The officers, including several high-ranking generals, are on trial accused of conspiring to topple Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government in 2003. All but one officer had been free until Friday's hearing.
The defendants face between 15 and 20 years in prison if convicted on charges of "attempting to topple the government by force."
The case marks the government's increasing confidence in confronting a military that once held sway over Turkish political life. The arrests of high-ranking military officers would once have been unimaginable.
The charges stem from leaked documents published by the Taraf newspaper that prosecutors said were part of an alleged military conspiracy dubbed "Balyoz" (Sledgehammer).
The allegations include plans to blow up at least two major mosques during Friday prayers, assassinate some Christian and Jewish leaders, and shoot down a Turkish warplane and blame it on Greece, the country's historic rival. Prosecutors say the conspirators hoped to create chaos, which would lead to calls for a military takeover.
More on the dubious "Sledgehammer" conspiracy here.
"The allegations include plans to blow up at least two major mosques during Friday prayers, assassinate some Christian and Jewish leaders, and shoot down a Turkish warplane and blame it on Greece, the country's historic rival."
To me this sounds more like a sequence taken from Erdogan's personal fantasies conveniently displaced on to people he fears or wants out of his way.
Posted by: Noga | February 13, 2011 at 12:20 PM
Indeed.
Posted by: Mick H | February 13, 2011 at 03:18 PM