New Judges for "Sledgehammer" Coup Case and Dink Murder Trial

The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) temporarily appointed the judges of the "Sledgehammer Coup Plan" and the "Hrant Dink murder case" to different courts. Judge Zafer Başkurt from the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court hearing the trial regarding the Sledgehammer ('Balyoz') coup plans was transferred to Gebze (east of Istanbul). Judge Erkan Canak from the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court was appointed to Sakarya (east of Istanbul). Canak did not comment on his transfer which was announced on Tuesday (14 December).

Başkurt, President Judge of the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court was known for putting opposing annotations on the long-term detentions in the scope of the Sledgehammer case.

The "Sledgehammer" coup plan was plotted by a group of people within the armed forces in 2002/03. It was aimed at creating disorder in the country by the bombings of two major mosques, crashing a Turkish jet plane and warplanes flying over the parliament, which should eventually lead to martial law and a coup to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.

Prof. Mehmet Haberal, detained defendant of the Ergenekon investigation, had nine judges convicted at the Court of Appeals except Başkurt who decided to release him on the grounds that he was not asked any questions in his interrogation regarding the charges of "establishing and managing a terrorist organization" pressed against him as the reason for his arrest.

The clandestine, ultra-nationalist Ergenekon organization nested within the state and the military is alleged to have plotted a coup to overthrow the government.

Minister of Justice mentioned reassignment

Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin had previously mentioned at a HSYK meeting that members of the supreme council wanted to assign Canak to a different court since he had been threatened by Ergenekon suspect Ali Hadi Emre, the so-called drug baron, because he was not released. The police found 200 kilos of narcotics when they arrested Emre.

New court president has to study quickly

New President Judges of the 10^th High Criminal Court and the 14^th High Criminal Court are court members Ömer Diken and Rüştem Eryılmaz, respectively.

The Sledgehammer trial will start tomorrow (16 December). Former Court President Başkurt studied the related dossiers for months. Diken will have to work his way through hundreds of pages of the case file. (BT/VK)