Turkish court dismisses case against ex-military chief

ANKARA

Turkey's Constitutional Court dismissed a case on Thursday against Ilker Basbug, the 26th chief of the general staff of Turkey, citing the failure to prosecute.

The ex-military chief was accused of plotting attacks against the Turkish government to pave the way for a military coup as well as being part of an alleged “deep state” organization called Ergenekon.

The original Ergenekon conspiracy probe, dating back to 2007, led to trials of military officers, politicians, academics, and journalists in 2013, but later the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned hundreds of convictions in the case.

Turkish authorities said the 2013 Ergenekon trial was based on fabricated evidence and blamed the prosecutors, who were FETO members, of trying to purge the military of rival officers.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.