Turkish Court Confirms Military Coup Attempt
In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara upholds the heavy prison sentences to top ex-officers accused of attempting to oust the government in 2003.
In what appears to be another historic ruling, Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of top ex-officers in the much debated Sledgehammer case. The trial, which started in July 2010, was based on accusations of an attempt at "toppling the elected government and parliament by force" and involved 361 indictees.
This is the first time in the country’s history that a legal case against a coup reached a higher stage, possibly indicating the course of a larger conspiracy case involving a Mafia-like political network, the Ergenekon. The ruling in Ankara will also intensify the public debate on the future of politics of Turkey, on its rule of law and on civilian-military relations.
