31 Years Later: Investigation into 1980 Military Coup

Ret. General Kenan Evren, leader of the military coup on 12 September 1980, was interrogated for the first time in 31 years this Tuesday (6 June).

The interrogation lasted for 2.5 hours. He was asked why he usurped the governance and whether the people behind the coup had been supported by other countries. The prosecutors leading the interrogation addressed Evren as "my president" in reference to the post he assumed after the coup in 1980.

Evren was not asked any questions about torture, executions, people that disappeared in custody, unsolved murders, oppression and bans related to the military coup.

"Investigation should be extended to Ulusu government"

Lawyer Ergin Cinmen pointed out that the interrogation of Kenan Evren came too late. In an interview with bianet, Cinmen conveyed his opinion that the crucial point was to investigate and prosecute all persons whose names were included in the coup process.

Lawyer Cinmen underlined the responsibility of the government of Bülent Ulusu that served till 1983, of the ministers of this government, the members of parliament, prison commanders and many other people.

"The prosecutors have to deal with that. In my opinion, the interrogation of Kenan Evren does not have too much of a legal relevance. The people who were actually responsible were the government officers", Cinmen stated.

He continued, "Therefore, the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSLYK) should appoint other senior prosecutors to this investigation".

"This investigation has to be approached like the Ergenekon investigation if a serious investigation shall really be done and if they are really sincere on the topic of investigating the incidents around 12 September; just as they prepared a certain infrastructure for the Ergenekon trial like establishing special secretariats. The same kind of work has to be adopted for the prosecution related to the period of 12 September".

"Evren would have avoided other subjects"

"They could have asked Kenan Evren about different issues but that would not have changed anything", Cinmen evaluated the interrogation.

"If he had been asked about torture, he would have avoided any further questions by saying that he did not give any such order. (...) I think there is no point in dwelling on this. The important issue is to start from the Bülent Ulusu government that was appointed within that process".

"Evren can be tried, period of statute of limitation just started"

Cinmen indicated that after the lifting of provisional article 15 from the Constitution, Kenan Evren could be tried as well as the other force commanders on duty at the time.

Article 15 prevented the prosecution of putschists. The lawyer noted, "With the abrogation of the article, the statute of limitations just started. The prosecutors agree with that. They are also of the opinion that the period of statute of limitation started as of 12 September 2010. Why should an investigation be launched otherwise?" (EKN/VK)