All remaining suspects detained in Poyrazköy coup trial freed on probation

ISTANBUL

Five suspects, including retired commander Levent Bektaş (C), were released on probation pending trial. CİHAN photo

Five suspects in the Poyrazköy coup plot case were released on probation pending trial by an Istanbul court on Jan. 28.

The release decisions mean that there are no detained suspects left in the Poyrazköy case, which probes the discovery of a large cache of ammunition in a military zone on the outskirts of Istanbul.

The court ruled for the release of the suspects in light of a recent Constitution Court ruling on lengthy detentions, according to daily Hürriyet.

Excavations in the Poyrazköy area, on the Asian side of Istanbul, were carried out after the investigation of nine sacks of documents confiscated from a Navy base in Gölcük.

A total of 17 suspects, mostly naval officers, were then indicted for involvement in a plot to discredit and unseat the Turkish government.

The case may also take a new turn following a recent report prepared by Turkey’s science watchdog (TÜBİTAK), which revealed that key evidence in the trial had been altered. The same evidence was also used in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) trial. Twelve Balyoz convicts have demanded a retrial in light of the report.