Turkey issues arrest warrants for alleged coup leaders

The bloodless military intervention that had led to the fall of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan's government is known as Turkey’s post-modern coup, as it had forced the government to resign without resorting to violent tactics. Some of the detained figures were released later but some others, including retired general Cevik Bir who had played a key role in the coup, have been sent to prison, where they are expected to wait for a court to issue a verdict for them.

Observers believe that Turkey’s move to prosecute the former generals over their alleged roles in the 1997 events is another nail in the coffin of an era when military dominated politics in the country.

Earlier this month, the surviving leaders of Turkey’s 1980 coup d'etat were put on trial in Ankara. Kenan Evren, a nonagenarian retired army general and former president, and Tahsin Sahinkaya, a former air force chief, were charged with committing "acts against the forces of the state.” Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hailed the ongoing trials against the architects of the coups in the country, saying that the process shows that Turkey is no longer a coup country, as no one has immunity against prosecution anymore.

Turkey’s top generals were untouchable for decades and they had unseated four elected governments since 1960. Former Prime Minister Erbekan who is widely considered as one of the main victim of the post-modern coup, passed away last year, when he was the leader of Turkey’s Felicity Party. The political party has hailed the trials, but says more should be done.

Top military commanders had challenged the elected governments in Turkey for decades, but observers say it seems that the ruling Justice and Development Party has successfully met the challenge.