Six years after being jailed prior to the start of a lengthy trial, 13 defendants accused of helping a secret criminal organization seize power were acquitted of all charges on Wednesday.
The case, which was dubbed the "Oda TV" case, referring to the news website that employed the defendants, concluded Wednesday in an Istanbul courtroom where an inquiry was ordered into those who played a role in the arrests of the defendants. The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) is behind the false accusations that landed the defendants in jail, according to the defendants who include journalists Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener and Soner Yalçın as well as former police chief Hanefi Avcı.
Istanbul 18th High Criminal Court ruled for the acquittal of the men, pointing to lack of evidence, the testimony of eyewitnesses and expert witnesses in the case, which was entirely based on forged, fabricated evidence, according to the defendants.
The ruling paves the way for the prosecution of public officials from police officers to members of the judiciary accused of plotting against the defendants. The court will formally send a criminal complaint to the prosecutor's office to investigate those who "falsified" digital evidence that implicated the defendants.
The case was an extension of the infamous Ergenekon trials. Ergenekon, supposedly a secret gang formed by generals, academics, journalists and other prominent figures, controlled the state and an investigation that led to the imprisonment of hundreds of its members on charges of Ergenekon membership. The gang later turned out to be comprised of judges, prosecutors and police officers linked to FETÖ, and all defendants were acquitted. FETÖ is accused of conspiring to imprison its critics through sham trials conducted by its infiltrators in the judiciary with with the assistance of police officers loyal to the terrorist group.
