SUSPECTS IN TURKEY’S SLEDGEHAMMER COUP PLOT RELEASED

Tert.am
14:09, 02.04.10

Cetin Dogan, the former head of Turkey’s First Army, and a major
suspect in the Sledgehammer ("Balyoz") coup plot has been released one
day after 17 other suspects in the case were released on Wednesday,
reports Today’s Zaman.

Critics say judges appointed by the Supreme Board of Judges and
Prosecutors (HSYK) are releasing suspect one by one. Retired Gen.

Dogan is accused of having drafted the plot.

Initially, 41 people were arrested in the Sledgehammer probe. The
coup plot includes plans to bomb the Fatih and Beyazıt mosques and
down a Turkish jet over the Aegean to fuel problems with Greece for
the ultimate aim of discrediting the government.

28 people have been released in the past two days. The latest releases
came on Thursday when 12th Higher Criminal Court Judge Oktay Kuban
released 19 people including retired Gen. Dogan, retired Gen. Engin
Alan and retired Gen. Suha Tanyeli.

On Wednesday, nine others were released by the Ä°stanbul 9th High
Criminal Court. The judges were the newly assigned Tuncay Aslan and
Yılmaz Alp, who ruled that the suspects should be released due to
their "social standing." Nurettin Ak, the presiding judge opposed to
this, but the suspects were released in a 2 to 1 vote.

Currently, only 7 suspects stand arrested in the Sledgehammer
investigation.