COUP DIARIES

Journalist Mustafa Balbay, writer for the Cumhuriyet newspaper, demanded a new evaluation of the "Coup Diaries" allegedly belonging to retired Admiral Özden Örnek, former Naval Forces Commander. Balbay's request came after the decision to separate the investigation into the diaries from the Ergenekon investigation.

"The Diaries are the substance of the case"

Detained defendant Balbay had asked Public Prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel in the course of his interrogation on 21 November 2009 whether an investigation had been launched into to the coup diaries. Pekgüzel apparently replied, "The diaries have become the essence of the case".

In the Tuesday hearing (2 November) before the Istanbul 13^th High Criminal Court, Balbay reminded prosecutor Pekgüzel to his words and said, "The prosecution seems to have set aside the essence of the case. I request the court board to review the allegations included in the indictment and re-evaluate them".

Court found retired army officials "suspicious"

The court decided for a lack of jurisdiction regarding two of the offences put forward against retired General Aytaç Yalman, ret. General İbrahim Fırtına and former Naval Forces Commander ret. Admiral Özden Örnek related to the coup diaries. The court pointed to the Ankara Public Chief Prosecution and forwarded the file.

Connections of the suspects to the Ergenekon terror organization could not be confirmed. However, in the decision it was said that "they are suspected to have participated" in the coup attempt.

The decision read, "Interests of the suspects Tahir Aytaç Yalman, Özden Örnek and Halil İbrahim Fırtına in the Ergenekon terrorist organization could not be confirmed. Nevertheless, the suspicion was substantiated that they were involved in the plan and actions aimed at overthrowing the government by force and violence together with executives or members of the Ergenekon organization. Confiscated data suggested that the ground of a military intervention was prepared during their time in office". (BT/EÖ)