Karadayi Freed Pending Trial

Charged with his involvement in 1997 ousting of government, Turkey's ex-military chief has been released pending a trial last night.

Ismail Hakki Karadayi, Turkey's military chief during the ousting of Islamist government in 1997, was detained yesterday morning in his Istanbul apartment over his involvement in the events. Police officers escorted the retired general to Ankara where he was questioned by prosecutors Mustafa Bilgili, Kemal Çetin and Murat Esen in Ankara's main courthouse.

According to ntvmsnbc, prosecutors asked Karadayi 83 questions related to his involvement with Bati Calisma Grubu (West Study Group), a committee of military officials that operated as a monitoring and intelligence body during the 28 February coup. After Karadayi's testimony, prosecutors kept their charges and demanded his arrest.

"There is no evidence against our case. Prosecutors demanded my client's arrest with the assumption that he must have known military's coup plots as military chief. Now my client will testify before the court,"  Karadayi's attorney Erol Yılmaz Aras said before the evening court ruled his release under probe. (EKN)