The first hearing of the trial regarding the "Cage Action Plan" was held at the Istanbul 12^th High Criminal Court" on 15 June. The court decided to accept the Armenian Agos newspaper as joint plaintiffs to the case. 33 defendants are tried on the grounds of the "Cage Action Plan" which supposedly targeted non-Muslim religious minorities in Turkey.

The court dismissed the request put forward by the defence lawyers to transfer the case to a military court.

The "Cage Action Plan" made the headlines after an initial article had been published in the nationwide Taraf newspaper on 19 November 2009. It was said that the plan included startling actions targeting non-Muslims in Turkey with the aim to overthrow the government of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). It was supposedly worked out by the Naval Forces. The plan depicted so-called "operations" such as the assassinations of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, founder and chief editor of the Agos weekly, priest Andrea Santoro and three employees of the Zirve Publishing company.

When Vice Admiral Kadir Sağdıç entered the courtroom, the military officers on duty who are tried un-detained rose to their feet for a military salute. They only sat down again after Sağdıç had given his permission.

Erakyol: The first time I saw the plan was at court

After the pronouncement of the indictment, detained defendant Mücahit Erakyol from the marine infantry emphasized that he had no animosities against citizens of Armenian origin. Erakyol said in his defence that he had no information about the cage plan and actually saw it for the first time at court.

Erakyol: "I was not involved"

"Since I am on duty in Foça [Aegean Coast], I have not been in Istanbul for ten years. Thus, it would be a discrepancy for me to be involved in an action plan centred in Istanbul", Erakyol stated and demanded his release. He furthermore requested to transfer the trial to a Military court, to obtain expert reports from specialists and an expert on military issues to be present at court.

Defendant Levent Gülmen did not accept charges of "membership of an illegal organization" pressed against him.

Gülmen, member of intelligence units for seven years, demanded his acquittal.

"Plan is a fraud"

Detained defendant Naval Staff Lieutenant Colonel Halil Özsaraç stated that he did not know retired Naval Commander Levent Bektaş. The CD with the plan was found in the course of a search of Bektaş's home. Özsaraç claimed that neither the original nor a copy of the plan actually existed.

Up to 15 years in jail

Retired Vice Admiral Ahmet Feyyaz Öğütçü, Rear Admiral Mehmet Fatih İlgar and Vice Admiral Sağdıç are tried under charges of the "illegal organization of actions regarding the implementation of the Cage Operation Action Plan directly related to the armed Ergenekon terror organization", "membership of an organization with the authority to order and command on behalf of the advisory board".

The following defendants stand accused of membership of an illegal organization: Erakyol, Deniz Erki, Tanju Veli Aydın, Emre Sezenler, Hüseyin Doğancı, İsmail Bak, Metin Samancı, Levent Gülmen, Aydın Ayhan Saraçoğlu, Bülent Aydın, Bora Coşkun, Süleyman Erharat, Murat Aslan, Emre Tepeli, İbrahim Öztürk, Halil Özsaraç, Gürol Yurdunal, Ümit Özbek, Bülent Karaoğlu, Daylan Muslu, Hüseyin Erol, Mehmet İnce, Alpay Belleyici, İsmail Zühtü Tümer, Levent Olcaner, Özgür Erken, Metin Fidan, Türker Doğanca, Mesut Adanur and Metin Keskin.

The indictment asks for prison sentences of between 7.5 and 15 years according to article 314/2 of the Turkish Criminal Court (TCK) and article 5 of the Anti-Terror Law. The hearing was postponed to 17 and 18 June. (BT/EÖ/VK)