Turkish court merges two coup plot cases, denies deputies’ request

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Suspect retired Gen Çetin Doğan is a key suspect in the Balyoz coup case. AA photo

An Istanbul court decided yesterday to merge the ongoing Internet Memorandum and the second Ergenekon cases, while rejecting the demands of several deputie to become parties to the case.

Independent deputies Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuğluk, as well as Hasip Kaplan, a deputy for the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) petitioned an Istanbul court to become a party to the ongoing “Internet Memorandum” case last week, for allegedly having been depicted as targets of propaganda. 

The “Internet Memorandum,” refers to an alleged document calling for the General Staff’s creation of 42 Internet sites, in order to distribute propaganda against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Greeks and Armenians, while Ergenekon is an alleged coup plot aiming to topple the Turkish government.

Meanwhile, lawyers and suspects protested judges in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) case hearing yesterday, claiming that the court did not fully analyze the evidence that they presented.

On the 89th hearing of the Sledgehammer case, board members of the court denied the demand of the lawyers regarding the evaluation of digital data and the hearing of experts’ opinion. 

Chief judge Ömer Diken said it was not possible for the court to hear experts for all suspects and advised the lawyers to determine three experts to express their common opinion. 

Ali Sezenoğlu, a lawyer for the defendants, had demanded an expert to be heard, but the court rejected this yesterday. Thus, the lawyers protested the court on April 4 for “announcing an opinion on the accusations without evaluating the evidence.” The defense lawyers did not attend yesterday’s hearing. 

Suspect retired Gen. Çetin Doğan took the floor yesterday saying that the court’s attitude was arbitrary and could not be considered lawful.