Coup chiefs will not join upcoming hearings

ANKARA

The Ankara 12th High Criminal Court ruled to exempt to the two surviving leaders of the Sept. 12, 1980 coup case from upcoming hearings in the trial, at the 12th hearing held yesterday in the absence of the two defendants.

At the 11th hearing in November, the coup leader, then-Chief of General Staff Gen. Kenan Evren, 95, and then-Commander of Air Forces Tahsin Şahinkaya, 87, both gave their testimony from a hospital via an audio-visual conference system, with a delegated judge at the hospital witnessing their testimonies.

Evren and Şahinkaya didn’t testify at yesterday’s hearing as their lawyers requested their exemption from the trial. The court eventually accepted this request, yet noted that this decision could be reviewed when the trial reaches the phase at which the prosecutor would present his final opinion on the case.

Meanwhile, the victims’ lawyers asked for the arrest of Şahinkaya as the court had received a document saying that Şahinkaya was not hospitalized and was receiving outpatient care. The court eventually refused this demand.
The next hearing of the trial will be held on April 18.