Turkey's Generals Are Put On Trial

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (front C). Tensions and mistrust are high between the staunchly secularist army and the government Photo: GETTY

Turkey Puts Military On Trial -- Wall Street Journal

Coup-Plot Charges Bring Out Struggle Between Armed Forces and Ruling Party

SILIVRI, Turkey—Nearly 200 Turkish generals, admirals and other officers crammed into a massive courtroom outside Istanbul, charged with attempting a coup d'état in a case that has split the nation and weakened its once all-powerful military.

The defendants in the trial, which began Thursday, are accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamic-leaning Justice and Development Party, or AKP, just months after it was voted into government in 2002.

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More News On Turkey's Military Coup Trial

Military 'coup plot' trial opens in Turkey -- The Telegraph
Turkey tries military over alleged anti-govt plot -- Reuters
Sledgehammer coup trial opens in Turkey -- Deutsche Welle
Alleged Turkey coup plotters go on trial -- Financial Times
Turkey Begins Coup Plot Trial -- Voice of America
Turkish officers face coup trial -- Press Association
Trial is next chapter in clash between Turkey's Muslim leaders, secular elite -- Washington Post

Tensions Between The Turkish Government And Its Military Have Been Deferred For Now

Photo: Former navy commander Adm Ozden Ornek was among those indicted. Image from The BBC

Turkish Court Annuls Arrest Warrants Over 'Coup Plot' -- BBC News

A Turkish court has annulled arrest warrants against 102 military officers charged over an alleged 2003 coup plot.

The officers - who include 25 generals and admirals - were indicted in July.

All were accused of involvement in plotting a military takeover, in an operation codenamed sledgehammer.

The annulment comes days after the military agreed not to promote some of the accused officers, after a standoff with the Turkish government dominated by the Islamist-rooted AK Party.

In all, 196 people were charged in July over the alleged plot. Some had been arrested in February and then released.

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More News On the Annulment Of Arrest Warrants Over 'Coup Plot'

Warrants over alleged coup plot dropped -- UPI
Court annuls warrants against Turkish coup suspects: report -- AFP
Turkish court annuls coup warrant -- Al Jazeera

My Comment: Tensions between civilian authorities and the military goes back to the coup of 1980. I do not expect this "annulment of arrest warrants" to alleviate the situation anytime soon.

Coup Rumors In Turkey After 102 Officers Charged With Plotting To Overthrow The Government

Turkey Orders Arrest Of 102 Over 'Coup Plot' -- BBC

A Turkish court has ordered 102 people charged with plotting to overthrow the government to be arrested and held in jail until their trial, the state news agency says.

The suspects were among 196 people indicted this week. Some were detained in February and then released.

They include three retired military commanders. They are to be jailed pending their 16 December trial.

The remaining 94 will remain free until their trial.

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More News On Rumors Of A Coup Being Plotted In Turkey

Arrest warrant for 102 suspects in Turkey coup case: report -- AFP
Turkish court orders arrest of 102 in coup plot -- AP
Turkey orders 102 'plotters' held -- Al Jazeera
Turkey: 102 Military Officers Charged With Plotting Coup -- New York Times
Military leaders wanted over coup plot -- ABC News (Australia)
Coup charges dent Turkish army’s clout -- Gulf Times

Were Turkey's Generals Planning A Coup?

Turkish soldiers walk outside the court building in Silivri, near Istanbul at the start of the trial of two retired four-star generals and 54 other defendants on charges of leading an alleged plot to topple Turkey's Islamist-rooted government. (AFP/Mustafa Ozer)

Suspected Coup Plotters On Trial In Turkey -- Yahoo News/AFP

SILIVRI (AFP) – Two retired four-star generals were among 56 people who went on trial on Monday over an alleged plot to topple Turkey's Islamist-rooted government, as their supporters protested outside the court.

The generals, who are accused of having masterminded the plot, are the most senior military figures to stand trial on coup charges in a country where the army has toppled four governments since 1960.

Among the other defendants are journalists, writers and academics known as critics of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The investigation that led to the trial deepened the rift between Turkey's secularists and the AKP, the moderate offshoot of a now banned Islamist movement.

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More News On Turkey's Coup Trial

Trial in Turkey Exposes a Political Divide -- Wall Street journal
Fifty-six more on trial in Turkish coup plot case -- Washington Post
Trial over alleged army coup exposes culture of conspiracy -- Financial Times
Turkey Puts Generals on Trial as Erdogan Curbs Army -- Bloomberg
Turkish Prosecutors Seek To Charge More Coup Suspects - Report -- Nasdaq

My Comment: The Wall Street Journal sums it best .... this exposes the political divide within Turkey. Secularist on one side .... religious Islamists on the other .... and very little hope for reconciliation.