Court appeals the acquittals in Balyoz coup case

The Anatolia Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on June 9 appealed a rule of the Supreme Court that suggested the release of seven defendants, including the former general Çetin Do?an, in the Balyoz coup case. 

Mehmet Ayd?n, the acting chief public prosecutor, presented a three-page statement to the Anatolian 4th High Criminal Court (to be presented to the Supreme Court later on) to revoke the decision suggesting the release of seven defendants, namely retired generals Do?an, Behzat Balta, Mehmet Kaya Varol, ?hsan Balabanl?, Metin Yavuz Yalç?n, Erdal Akyazan and Emin Küçükk?l?ç. The Constitutional Court had previously made a decision that 236 defendants, including the seven generals, be tried without arrest.

The statement said the coup plans had been made by Do?an, along with other six defendants in army seminars to overthrow the legitimately elected government when Do?an was a top army commander.

Do?an was the leader of the structure designated to overthrow the government and he acted accordingly, it said.

It also said Do?an mentioned forming a National Reconciliation Government after toppling the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in a speech he delivered in army seminar and that the context of his speech was related to coup plans as well as those of the other six generals.

Do?an, a retired army commander, said the prosecutor's office which had ruled the acquittal as well as appealed the acquittal of the seven generals, including himself, was the same and that the prosecutor office may have gotten an order from its superior, speaking to daily Hürriyet on June 8 while on a break between court sessions of the Feb. 28 case.

"It is too far beyond funny. One would not know what to say. I am just sorry....