Turkey's convicted coup leader to have state funeral: Turkish military

Turkey?s General Staff has announced that a state funeral for Kenan Evren, the country?s former coup leader and seventh president who died late on May 9, will be held at the ?protocol mosque? of Ankara on May 12.

The country had been debating whether or not to hold a state funeral for Evren, who died aged 98. He was the leader of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup d?état, as the Chief of Staff at the time. 

The 1980 military coup, Turkey?s third, prompted a wide-ranging crackdown that left deep marks on society. Fifty people were executed, an estimated half a million were detained, many were tortured, hundreds died in prison and many more disappeared during three years of military rule.

The coup leaders argued that they were forced to intervene to restore order after years of chaos, in which an estimated 5,000 people died in factional violence between leftist and rightist groups. 

Family applies to Chief of Staff, not parliament

After his death, Evren?s family applied to Turkish officials, requesting a state funeral at the Chief of Staff headquarters in Ankara on May 12. Many politicians were against organizing a funeral ceremony at Turkey?s Grand National Assembly, which the Evren-led coup once pacified with military force.

According to the Turkish General Staff statement on May 11, Evren?s funeral ceremony will be held at Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque, which is known as Turkey?s ?protocol mosque,? before he is buried at the State Cemetery in Ankara after the noon prayer on May 12.

Victims of the 1980 coup had applied to the Turkish government to prevent a state funeral for Evren.

Official silence, conflicting opinions

The government has stayed largely silent so far with no official...