Second Ergenekon Trial Starts

The second Ergenekon trial is concerned with allegations of attempted military coups.

The court case, which began at the Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court, is being heard in Silivri, a district far from the centre of the city.

56 defendants are on trial, 16 of them detained. At the first hearing on Monday, 20 July, all defendants, detained or not, were present.

Prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel demanded the arrest of lawyer Levent Temiz and Ankara Chamber of Commerce president Sinan Aygün, both defendants without detention.

The court said that it could not make any decisions on this issue before resolving the question of whether or not to accept the demand of some defendants and defence lawyers for different judges.

Should the court reject the demand, the issue would be taken to a higher court, the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court, for a decision.

The case was thus adjourned until 6 August.

The prosecutor further demanded that the state of health of retired generals Hurşit Tolon and Şener Eruygur be examined by the Forensic Medical Institute. Both of them were released pending trial and health reasons were given. They are, with others, accused of forming an illegal armed organisation and attempting to overthrow the government.

He also asked that the case be merged with that of the first Ergenekon indictment. That trial started on 20 October 2008.

Supporters of some defendants, as well as rights activists protesting against defendants had gathered outside of the courthouse.

Turkish and international press representatives were on site to follow the case.

Among the defendants are Cumhuriyet newspaper's Ankara representative Mustafa Balbay, former Istanbul organised crime branch head Adil Serdar Saçan, former mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt municipality Gürbüz Çapan, journalists Emin Şirin and Tuncay Özkan, and Ferda Paksüt, wife of a senior constitutional court judge. There is a search warrant out for former MP Turhan Çömez.

According to the Ntvmsnbc website, the third indictment in the Ergenekon case has been completed, and the court will examine it before the next hearing. (EÜ/AG)