Criminal Charges Pressed against Coup Instigators of 1980
Plaintiffs filed criminal complaints in Istanbul, Ankara and Bursa against coup leader Kenan Evren and the instigators of the military coup in 1980 on Monday (13 September). The complaints came one day after the approval of the referendum assured the lifting of provisional Article 15 which banned legal action against the military junta around the coup on 12 September 1980.
Provincial and district executives of the Equality and Democracy Party (EDP) in Izmir and Bursa submitted their related petitions to the Public Prosecutions in their cities in the morning of 13 September.
The statement of claim holds the junta regime responsible for all actions carried out between 12 September 1980, the day of the coup d'état, and 7 December 1983 when Turgut Özal was put in charge to form a new government.
In their petitions, the plaintiffs demand to prosecute then Chief of General Staff Evren, numerous force commanders, police officials, members of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) and governors under charges of "staging a coup", "changing the constitution", "overthrowing the government", "systematically planned and premeditated murder", "deliberate injure, torture and torment", "deprivation of liberty" and "sexual assault".
MAZLUMDER complained in Ankara
In Ankara, the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUMDER) filed a criminal complaint against the coup instigators of 12 September at the Ankara Public Prosecution.
The statement of claims was submitted on behalf of MAZLUMDER by the organization's president Ahmet Faruk and the Ankara Branch President Üstün Bol.
The petition demands the prosecution of then Chief of General Staff Kenan Evren, Land Forces Commander Nurettin Ersin, Air Force Commander Tahsin Şahinkaya, Naval Forces Commander Nejat Tümer, Gendarmerie General Commander Sedat Celasun, Military Academy Commander Bedrettin Demirel, Deputy Chief of General Staff Ali Haydar Saltık, members of the Advisory Council and Prime Minister Bülent Ulusu.
MAZLUMDER accuses the respondents of "staging a coup d'état", "changing the constitution by force", "overthrowing the government", "forcefully preventing the Turkish Grand National Assembly from fulfilling its duty", "condoning systematically planned and premeditated murder and injury to pave the way to the coup" and "torture, torment, deprivation of liberty, sexual assault". (SP/EÖ/VK)