Sledgehammer

Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals has upheld a decision to acquit 357 people who were tried in the controversial military espionage case, believed to have been pursued by prosecutors linked to the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Istanbul prosecutors sought three aggravated life sentences each for 21 police officers and up to 15 years in prison for eight police officers for their alleged role in Turkey's failed military coup attempt, while 267 people were charged for alleged involvement in the attempt in another indictment in the western province of İzmir.

In the new bill prepared by the Justice Ministry, even though there are positive aspects, there are also quite a few concerning articles. 

It is as if the Justice Ministry wishes to normalize the laws made under the state of emergency and is consequently introducing amendments in criminal and procedural laws. 

Turkey's Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) dismissed 66 more judges and prosecutors on Oct. 5 over their links to the movement of Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based Islamic preacher who is seen as the main suspect behind the July 15 coup attempt.

"Gülen schools are the best educational institutions in certain countries. There have never been complaints about them. In addition, Gülenists have been preaching for peace, interfaith dialogue and respect for non-Muslim minorities. And they have never resorted to violence. How can we call them terrorists all of a sudden?" is a question I come across in Western circles.

Istanbul prosecutors have decided to include the Ergenekon, Balyoz and Military Espionage investigations and prosecutions, which saw the arrest and trial of hundreds of mostly military personnel, in the main July 15 coup attempt investigation dossier upon the suspicion that all these former cases constituted the deadly takeover bid's preparation actions. 

The Supreme Court of Appeals has overturned convictions in the Ergenekon coup plot trial as the alleged Ergenekon Terror Organization could not be found and identified. The Ergenekon probe dates back to 2007 after a cache of explosives found at the home of a former military officer was alleged to be part of a big conspiracy against the government.

According to Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, the seizure of Zaman media group on March 4 has nothing to do with the press freedom under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government; rather, it was a decision by an independent court. He also claims that the probe against the Zaman group has the dimension to curb the support to the "parallel structure," i.e.

Two Turkish journalists - daily editor-in-chief Cumhuriyet Can Dündar and its Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül - were released from prison in the early hours of Feb. 26 after being in pre-trial detention for 92 days. The release came after a decision by the Constitutional Court on the evening of Feb. 25.

A court in the Aegean province of ?zmir has acquitted 357 suspects, including active duty soldiers, in the trial of a military espionage case where the defendants were accused of "keeping confidential military information and documents."