The decision of Turkey's top court on Wednesday to order a retrial of 230 defendants convicted two years ago for taking part in an alleged military plot to overthrow the government in 2003, is welcomed by the leader of Turkey's main opposition party.
“I am pleased that the judicial system in Turkey could consider a proper verdict without having to go to the European Court of Human Rights,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP).
The Sledgehammer ("Balyoz") coup plan is the name given to an alleged military coup plan by a junta in the Turkish Armed Forces reportedly dating back to 2003, a year after the ruling Justice and Development Party came to power.
According to the alleged plan, the military was to systematically foment chaos in society through chilling acts of violence including the bombing of mosques in Istanbul and downing of a Turkish war plane over the Aegean.
In September 2012, a specially authorized court - since which was annuled- sentenced 324 of the 365 defendants to jail terms ranging from six to 20 years for conspiring to topple the government, although an appeals court partially overturned the decision and released 88 of the defendants in October 2013 due to lack of evidence.
Kilicdaroglu stated that those sentenced, which include a number of high-ranking retired generals, deserve an apology from the ruling Justice and Development Party leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Erdogan should apologize if he wants to run in the presidential election. A person who defends injustice cannot run a country,” he said.
www.aa.com.tr/en
