SLEDGEHAMMER TRIAL

The demand to release the 163 members of the military staff tried in the scope of the "Sledgehammer coup plan" made by the General Staff Directorate was dismissed. The General Staff criticized the decision given by the Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court presided by Judge Şeref Akçay.

A previous appeal to the detentions was rejected by the same court in the beginning of March. The 163 detained defendants stand trial related to a planning seminar at the 1^st Army Command on 7 March 2003 which allegedly was the preparation for the so-called "Sledgehammer" coup plan to topple the Justice and Development Government.

TSK refrained from intervening in the judicial process...

On 5 April, the court rejected the appeal against the arrests for the second time. The General Staff announced that they refrained from intervening in the judicial process and posted the referring decision on their website. In the same statement, it was said, "We clearly informed the authorities. We have difficulties to understand the continuation of the 163 active and retired staff members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)".

Moreover, the announcement on the website of the TSK read, "The Turkish Armed Forces particularly refrained from any behaviour that could be interpreted as an intervention in the judicial process. Without influencing the trial we made different announcements several times and informed the authorities to explain without leaving any doubt what the seminars were about, how they were held, what was covered and who attended the seminar upon which orders. Similar cases clearly involve the prosecution to appoint a specialist for an expert report".

"In this situation, we have difficulties to understand the continuation of the detention of the 163 active and retired staff members of the Turkish Armed Forces".

"Therefore, we publish the decision regarding the continuation of the detention given yesterday [5 April] to inform the public".

A total of 196 defendants are being tried in the context of the Sledgehammer case at the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court, among them former Air Force Commander ret. General Halil İbrahim Fırtına, former Naval Forces Commder ret. Admiral Özden Örnek and former 1^st Army Commander ret. General Çetin Doğan. (EÖ/VK)