Sept. 12 coup trial intensifies as court seeks to bring more names before justice

ANKARA

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An Ankara criminal court, currently hearing the Sept. 12, 1980, coup d’état case, has ruled that a criminal complaint must be submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in order to investigate those who participated in the “Civilian Affairs Coordination Group.” The group was formed within the Bayrak (Flag) Operation Directive, which was the military’s road map for the staging of the coup.

The court also ruled that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) must be provided with the information and documents regarding other civilians who took part in the process leading up to the coup, in a decision reached on Sept. 27.

The 16th hearing of the case was conducted by Ankara’s 12th Criminal Court, where the seventh president of the Turkish Republic, Kenan Evren, and former chief of air forces Gen. Tahsin Şahinkaya, two key figures of the coup, were tried.

Based on the interim decision taken during the previous hearing, the answer provided by the General Staff was seen as insufficient; therefore a more detailed reply was demanded, as per the court ruling.

The court had previously ruled to have the General Staff produce certain documentation as evidence in the trial, including a particular directive issued by the General Staff. The directive was believed to have included a section on the “Civilian Affairs Coordination Group,” which was absent in the documentation presented to the court.

A warrant has been sent to the General Staff by the court, as part of its most recent ruling, for the delivery of the documents in question.