Turkish commander to testify as witness in case for murder of soldier who resisted coup attempt

A court has ruled for Special Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı to testify as a witness in the case into the killing of anti-coup soldier Ömer Halisdemir, who has been idolized for his resistance during a raid on the Special Forces Command in Ankara. 

The Ankara 14th Heavy Penal Court on Feb. 21 started the trials of 18 suspects in the case regarding the murder of non-commissioned officer Halisdemir, who shot pro-coup general Semih Terzi after the latter arrived at the commandership to capture it as part of coup activities on July 15, 2016. 

The court ruled for the continuation of arrests of all suspects in the interim decision of the case, based on the existing state of evidence and the insufficiency of judicial control conditions. 

The court board has stated that the witnesses will be heard in the next hearing of the case. In addition to Aksakallı, Captain Ahmet Kemal Yılmaz and Captain Volkan Vural Bal will testify as witnesses. 

Aksakallı, in his former capacity as major general, played a key role in the defeat of the attempted coup after realizing that his deputy, Terzi, was an active member of the junta. 

Terzi was actually in charge of the special ops along the Syria border (and when necessary across it). He was not supposed to be in the capital Ankara on the night of the coup attempt but he was there to raid and seize the Special Forces HQ near the city. 

Aksakallı got trapped inside the Special Forces HQ as the plot was underway, after which he phoned his bodyguard, Halisdemir, who was outside the building. According to his own testimony, Aksakallı told Halisdemir that Terzi was a traitor and said Halisdemir should stop him from entering the building, shooting and killing him - if necessary at the...