Three hundred senior officers convicted in Turkey

Three Turkish generals  have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for taking part in the coup attempt, told Turkish media.

The state prosecutor demanded to sentence them to life imprisonment, but the court reduced the sentence as "a coup" has failed.

This verdict  has become the first in the  trial which has been lasting for  about two years; approximately 360 officers and generals, accused of trying to overthrow the government of the Islamist Tayyip Erdogan in 2003, were involved the  attempt of coup. Plan to overthrow  the government was called "Sledgehammer" ("Balyoz").

On September 21,  322 were imprisoned for taking part in the plan of  "Sledgehammer", said Reuters. Another 34 were approved. 

According to authorities, the plan was to destabilize the  situation  in the country through  a series of provocations.  The plan provided for a series of explosions in crowded places, such as mosques,  it was planned to destroy military aircraft  over the  Aegean Sea, and  to condemn Greece for  organizing terrorist attacks. Then the military would use the confusion  and capture the  power. Alleged conspirators themselves called this version fictional and aimed at discrediting the opposition.

The trial was similar to that one  in 2008, when hundreds of officers and generals were arrested. They were declared  members of the radical nationalists closed organization "Ergenekon".

Then arrested stated that "Ergenekon" was an invention of the authorities, who strengthening their positions by arrests. 

Experts noted that  Erdogan’s government is  systematically targeted and continues to advance on the generals, taking away  they influence and authority. However, historically  the generals are the guarantors of secularists state of Turkey, and  indignation of those who are discontent with Erdogan's government, continues. -02D-