A court in Turkey has released 8 of the suspects in the “February 28th case”, a trial on the overthrow of a democratically elected government in 1997.Those who were released by the Ankara 13th High Criminal Court in Monday’s hearing included retired General Fevzi Turkeri, the then-general commander of the Turkish Gendarmerie; retired navy commander Admiral Hayri Bulent Alpkaya, former General Staff legal adviser Admiral Metin Yasar Yukselen, as well as Yildirim Turker, Yucel Ozsir, Ismail Ruhsar Sumer, Oguz Kalelioglu and Muhittin Erdal Senel.
The court also decided to ask the Turkish parliament to provide a list of the lawmakers who resigned from office during the term of the ousted 54th government, as well as their date of resignation, and the protocol of the government.
Twenty suspects are still under arrest including retired gen. Cevik Bir, the then-deputy chief of the General Staff and retired gen. Cetin Dogan, the then-commander of the 1st Army.
The February 28 process refers to the infamous “post-modern coup” as a military intervention that forced late Necmettin Erbakan to resign as prime minister.
In 2012, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the coup. The office prepared a 1,300-page indictment that was accepted by the Ankara 13th High Criminal Court.
More than 100 suspects, including former Chief of General Staff Ismail Hakki Karadayi, will be asked to defend themselves on accusations of “overthrowing the Turkish government by force.”
