Istanbul court releases 19 servicemen, suspected of preparing coup d’etat.. According to the today’s local press reports , there are 8 retired and 11 working servicemen among the released, including the former Field Army commander, General Cetin Dogan, ITAR-TASS reports.
According to the newspaper Milliyet, the court claimed deficiency of substantial inculpatory evidences to call persons under investigation to account on charges of preparing coup d’etat and an endeavour of overthrowing government by force . Altogether 28 servicemen were released from custody these days . They were detained in connection with the much-talked-of “Hammer” case . So far, there are five working officers remaining under arrest, as well as a colonel and a general, both retired.
Information concerning the “Hammer" plan filtered into media January 20 this year. In investigators’ opinion, the ultimate aim of scenario developed in 2003, was an overthrow of the incumbent government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Two tides of detentions concerning this case took pace February 22 and 26. About 70 servicemen were under examination.
