News
Tuesday, August 06, 2013ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Some 275 people — including military officers, politicians and journalists — yesterday were facing verdicts in a landmark trial in Turkey over an alleged conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.The ruling caps a five-year trial that has been a central drama in tensions between the country’s secular elite and Erdogan’s Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party.The defendants are accused of plotting high-profile attacks that prosecutors said were aimed at sowing chaos in Turkey to prepare the way for a military coup.The prosecutions have helped Erdogan’s government reshape Turkey’s military and assert civilian control in a country that had seen three military coups since 1960.The defendants are accused of being part of an alleged ultranationalist and pro-secular gang called Ergenekon, which takes its name from a legendary valley in Central Asia believed to be the ancestral homeland of Turks.In thousands of pages of indictment, prosecutors maintained that the gang was behind a series of violent acts — including one in 2006 on a courthouse that killed a judge — that were made to look as though they were carried out by Islamic militants, in a bid to create turmoil and provoke a military intervention.Prosecutors say the gang also plotted to kill Erdogan, Nobel laureate author Orhan Pamuk and other high-profile figures.The defendants have rejected the accusations.Prosecutors have demanded life prison terms for 64 of the defendants, mostly on terrorism charges. Others face up to 15 years in prison for possession of firearms or membership in Ergenekon.The case has polarised the country between those who see it as an opportunity to unravel a shadowy network of ultranationalists known as the “Deep State” that allegedly acted behind the scenes with impunity, and those who believe it is a government attempt to muzzle Erdogan’s secular-minded foes and undermine Turkey’s secular legacy.Police on Monday blocked hundreds of demonstrators from reaching the courthouse in Silivri, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Istanbul, in a show of solidarity with the defendants.Protesters clash with riot and paramilitary polices as they fire tear gas and use water cannons to disperse them outside the Silivri jail complex in Silivri, Turkey, yesterday. Some 275 people — including military officers, politicians and journalists — are facing verdicts in a landmark and divisive trial in Turkey over an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the government. The court has acquitted 21 people accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamist-rooted government in the fiveyear “Ergenekon” trial and sentenced of up to 47 years or life terms in jails some of the other 254 defendants. (PHOTO:AP)
HOUSE RULES
1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.
2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
5. Please don’t use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed:mailto:advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
comments powered byView the original article here
Verdicts expected in Turkish coup plot trial
