Turkey coup suspects deny charges 'despite evidence'

By Kemal Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s justice minister on Friday slammed pleas of innocence by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) suspects implicated in last year's failed coup bid who continue to deny any wrongdoing in court despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Speaking at the 46th ordinary congress of The Union of Public Notaries in capital Ankara, Bekir Bozdag said all defendants had denied the charges made against them despite photographic and footage evidence.

"There are photos and video footage of him [saluting on the night of the July 15 coup attempt a senior civilian FETO suspect] at Akinci Air Base; yet he still says 'That is not me'," Bozdag said, referring to former Gen. Hakan Evrim, commander of the Akinci Main Jet Base, who testified on Tuesday.

Akinci -- renamed Murted after the coup bid -- is located outside Ankara and was used as a base by some pro-coup soldiers; fighter jets which took off from the base that night bombed several places in the capital, including the parliament building. Loyal Turkish military officers were also held hostage at the base.

At Tuesday's hearing in main coup bid case, former Gen. Evrim rejected having 'saluted' Kemal Batmaz at the air base despite a video footage proving otherwise. Batmaz, a senior civilian FETO suspect, is accused of co-managing the coup attempt at the base.

Bozdag said the denials came at the order of Fetullah Gulen, the U.S.-based leader of the terrorist group, and the mastermind of the coup attempt.

"There are the recorded radio conversations [of army pilots]. [...] There are the expert reports. But they still deny [any involvement]," he said, adding that their repeated denials "make a mockery of both the Turkish nation and the judges hearing the case".

The trial of the main suspects in last year’s attempted coup began on May 22 in Ankara's Sincan district.

Those present for the opening day of the trial were members of the Peace at Home Council, the committee established by the coup plotters to replace the government if the putsch had succeeded.

All but 12 of the suspects are members of the military, including a general, three lieutenant generals, four major generals, 16 brigadier generals and three rear admirals.

Prominent defendants include Ali Yazici, the former military aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Levent Turkkan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar’s ex-aide; and Muhammet Uslu, a former official in the prime minister’s private office.

Dozens of people waving Turkish flags protested in front of the court as the defendants arrived, some brandishing nooses -- a reminder of the popular call for the return of the death penalty in the wake of the coup bid.

The indictment -- accepted by the 17th High Criminal Court in Ankara on March 8 -- outlined the "attempt to overthrow the democratic constitutional order by treasonous FETO members with 35 planes, 37 helicopters, 246 armored vehicles and around 4,000 light weapons".

The suspects are also facing charges of attempting to overthrow parliament, attempting to overthrow the government, attempting to assassinate the president, murdering 250 people and attempting to murder 2,735 people.

The indictment detailed how the putschists targeted parliament, the presidential palace and other institutions such as police headquarters and Turkey's satellite operator TURKSAT.

The government has accused FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

The July 15 attempted coup left 250 people dead and around 2,200 wounded.