Retired Generals Released After Detention under Plot Charges

Accused of planning to overthrow the government with a coup, the so-called "Sledgehammer" plan, retired General İbrahim Fırtına, retired Admiral Özden Örnek and retired General Ergin Saygun had been taken into custody.

Yesterday (25 February) they gave statements to the prosecution during the day and were released in the evening hours, but Saygun is not permitted to leave the country.

Turan Çolakkadı, the deputy head prosecutor said that the generals had been released because they had previously been questioned, released and had not fled.

Today, former 1st Army Commander Çetin Doğan and retired General Engin Alan are to be questioned.

"We have corrected misunderstandings"

Fırtına and Örnek left the court yesterday evening at around half past eight. After giving his statement, Fırtına is said to have chatted to the prosecutors about the current football matches.

Both Fırtına and Örnek were questioned in relation to Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code, which deals with "attempting to use coercion and violence to overthrow a government or prevent it from carrying out its duties."

As he got into his car, Fırtına said that they had corrected misunderstandings about the "Sledgehammer" plan in their questioning.

31 arrested, 17 released

Of the 49 active and retired soldiers taken into police detention as part of the investigation into "Sledgehammer", 31 have been arrested so far. They are:

Rear Admirals Aziz Çakmak and Turgay Erdağ, Major Generals İhsan Balabanlı and Bekir Memiş, Vice Admirals Cem Ramazan Gürdeniz and Semih Çetin, retired Lieutenant General Metin Yavuz Yalçın, retired Rear Admiral Ali Feyyaz Öğütçü, retired Brigadier Generals Mehmet Kaya Varol and İzzet Ocak, retired Brigadier General and President of the General Staff's Strategic Research and Studies Centre Süha Tanyeli, retired Vice Admirals Özür Karabulut and Ali Deniz Kutluk,  Colonels Ali Rıza Sözen, Ali Türkşen, Abdullah Zafer Arısoy, Hasan Barsı Aslan, Yüksel Gürcan, Recep Yıldız, Mustafa Öncel and Murat Özçelik, Lieutenant Colonels Hanifi Yıldırım, Levent Çehreli, Ertuğrul Uçar and Taylan Çakır, retired Colonels Ümit Özcan, Kubilay Aktaş, Emin Küçükkılıç, Suat Aytın, Ali İhsan Çavdaroğlu, and Bülent Tunçalp.

Seventeen soldiers have been relased pending trial:

Retired Generals İbrahim Fırtına and Ergin Saygun, retired Admiral Özden Örnek, retired Lieutenant General Ayhan Taş, retired Rear Admiral Lütfi Sancar, retired Brigadier Generals Ahmet Baki Erdoğan and Gaffur Aksu, retired Rear Admiral Engin Baykal, Colonels Muharrem Nuri Alacalı, Mehmet Yoleri, Cengiz Köylü, Tayfun Duman, retired Colonels Ahmet Metin Dikici, Yusuf Ziya Toker, Musa İstek, Mustafa Çalış and retired Non-commissioned Officer Arif Ersan.