Court acquits 103 retired admirals over 'Montreux Declaration'

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The retired admirals who faced charges over a 2021 declaration about the Montreux Convention, an international treaty regulating the status of Türkiye's straits, have been acquitted.

The Ankara 20th Heavy Penal Court today (December 20) acquitted the 103 former officers of "making an agreement to commit a crime against the security of the state and constitutional order."

The defendants were facing up to 12 years in prison. In a unanimous decision, the court concluded that the elements of the crime did not occur.

CLICK - Retired admirals' midnight declaration on Montreux Convention triggers 'coup' debate 

What happened?

At midnight on April 3, 2021, the retired admirals released a declaration concerning the Montreux Convention, following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks that the treaty was not successful in defending Türkiye's rights.

"The opening of the Montreux Convention to debate as part of Canal İstanbul and the authority of the annulment of international treaties is met with concern," said the joint declaration.

The declaration also mentioned leaked photos showing a rear admiral in Islamic clothes in a home together with people who are said to be members of a pro-government religious community.

Government officials reacted fiercely to the declaration, accusing the former soldiers of calling for a coup.

Prosecutors in Ankara opened an investigation into the declaration one day later and 10 retired officers were detained on April 5.

On April 5, Ergun Mengi, Atilla Kezek, Alaettin Sevim, Ramazan Cem Gürdeniz, Nadir Hakan Eraydın, Bülent Olcay, Kadir Sağdıç, Türker Ertürk, Turgay Erdağ and Ali Sadi Ünsal were taken into custody.

Engin Baykal, Cemil Şükrü Bozoğlu, Mustafa Özbey and Atilla Kıyat were also summoned to depose at the security directorate. They were released on probation on April 12.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office then summoned 6 retired admirals and 1 retired general to give their statements as part of the investigation launched into the declaration on Montreux Convention.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), written notifications were sent to six retired admirals and one retired general in İstanbul, Muğla, Antalya and Ankara provinces as part of the investigation.

The houses of the retired admirals and the retired general were searched and their digital materials were seized in mid-April.

In late May 2021, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office summoned 84 people to give their statements as part of the ensuing investigation.

According to the statement of the Prosecutor's Office, within the framework of the examination carried out on the digital materials seized during the previous searches, the statements of the suspects and the evidence obtained by analyzing Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records, 84 suspects were summoned to depose on the charge of "making an agreement to commit a crime against the security of the state and constitutional order." (AS/VK)