Turkish military prosecutors launch probe upon expert report on altered Balyoz evidence

ANKARA

Military prosecutors are reportedly set to examine in detail who had access to the room where the hard disk was found. DAILY NEWS file photo

Military prosecutors opened an investigation on Feb. 5 upon an expert report which revealed that key evidence in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) trial had been altered.

The investigation carried out by prosecutors from the naval forces was launched following a formal instruction from the Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel, daily Hürriyet reported.

Experts from Turkey’s science watchdog TÜBİTAK released a report on Jan. 25 in which it said that the date and time of key files on a hard drive found during searches conducted in December 2010 at the Gölcük Navy Command were altered.

The files in the hard drive, known as “hard drive number five,” were one of the foundations of the coup-plot charges in the Balyoz trial indictments. 

Military prosecutors are reportedly set to examine in detail who had access to the room where the hard disk was found. 

Twelve Balyoz convicts have demanded a retrial following the release of the TÜBİTAK report. 

The report’s findings reportedly state that some of the files on the hard drive were transferred by computers over a year after the date and time of the last modification. The report indicates that the latest modification to the files was made on May 1, 2008, whereas some files were created after the date of July 28, 2009. Those were transferred from computers with an older system, date and time, according to the experts.

During the Balyoz trial, separate reports from naval and air forces experts also indicated that the hard drive was modified, but their assessments were dismissed by the court.