Article

2012-03-27 The Grand Turk

Turkish Ex-Army Chief on Trial for Alleged Coup Plots

[An Nahar] Turkey's former army chief Ilker Basbug went on trial Monday on charges of leading a terrorist group accused of plotting to overthrow the Islamist-rooted government, local media said.

Basbug, who was chief of staff from 2008 to 2010, has been in jug since January and risks life in prison if convicted in a case that has inflamed tensions between the government and the powerful military.

He is the most senior officer to be implicated in a massive probe into the so-called Ergenekon network, accused of plotting to topple Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Basbug, 68, branded the charges against him as "tragi-comic" when he was locked away in January.

At the start of the hearing in a court in Silivri, outside Istanbul, Basbug's lawyer called for his client to be tried by the supreme court but the demand was rejected, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Posted by Fred 2012-03-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11141 views ] Top

#1 Update:

Turkey's former armed forces chief General Ilker Basbug said on Tuesday he would not defend himself against terrorism charges, describing the allegations against him as a "comedy" and calling for his trial to be heard by the supreme court.

Basbug, accused of involvement in a plot to overthrow the government, told the court he had no respect for the indictment, saying the allegations were against the Turkish armed forces and were a serious insult to the state.

Posted by trailing wife 2012-03-27 18:00|| 2012-03-27 18:00|| Front Page Top

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