Balyoz case to proceed in December

An Istanbul court yesterday accepted a prosecutor’s indictment in the ongoing third “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) probe, while the 143 suspects in the case are set to face trial on Dec. 26.

The prosecution is requesting 15 to 20 years in prison for the 143 suspects, 64 of whom are currently under arrest, including Lt. Gen. Korcan Pulatsü and Dr. Ömer Faruk Ağa Yarman, the director of the Air Electronics Industry Company (HAVELSAN), an Ankara-based firm specializing in defense and information technology products.

In the indictment prepared by Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Hüseyin Ayar, the suspects are accused of attempting to topple the government by force. Among the evidence presented is the leaked audio records of former Chief of Staff Gen. Işık Koşaner that created a public stir when they were first released on the internet in August.

In the records, Koşaner could be heard speaking about the military’s deficiencies and relations with the civilian government, as well as about the Balyoz case.The court’s persistent rejection of the arrested suspects’ pleas to be released pending trial had prompted Koşaner and his top three commanders to resign in July.The first trial of the case, which was accepted unanimously by Istanbul’s 10th Court of Serious Crimes, will take place on Dec. 26, while trials will also continue to proceed on Dec. 27, 29 and 30, according to reports. The court will also evaluate Ayar’s request for the case to be merged with the other Balyoz trial. The court’s preliminary proceedings report, on the other hand, also ruled in favor of the continued apprehension of arrested suspects.