Former Turkish President Evren questioned over role in 1980 coup

Former Turkish President Evren questioned over role in 1980 coup

2011-06-07 04:28:30 GMT+7 (ICT)

ANKARA, TURKEY (BNO NEWS) -- Turkish prosecutors on Monday questioned former President Kenan Evren in regards to an investigation into the 1980 military coup, the Anatolia News Agency reported.

Evren, also a retired military general, led the September 12, 1908 coup and then became president. He gave his testimony to Ankara's prosecutor Hüseyin GörüÅŸen at his residence due to his ailing health.

GörüÅŸen asked 12 questions to the former president in regards to the period before and during the military coup. However, the information given by Evren was not disclosed as the investigation is ongoing.

Evren's lawyer Ömer Nihat Özgün said that the former president explained the conditions in the country at the time which led to the coup, as well as saying that the military assumed control of the country acting on the 35th Article of the Constitution.

Previously, retired Gen. Evren said he would never testify in the issue. In 2009, the former leader even said he would commit suicide before the matter being referred to court.

The probe into the September 1908 coup was initiated following petitions from rights groups, victims and relatives of the event after the immunity of the generals was lifted but it is doubted the case will be put on trial.

Evren, 93, was the seventh president of Turkey. He led a military coup alleged to end to years of violence between left and right wing factions and to end the killing of about 5,000 people in the streets.

However, 650,000 people were taken into custody and 230,000 were put on trial after the coup. In addition, military prosecutors demanded the death penalty for 7,000 detainees; 517 of them received the death penalty and 50 were hanged.

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