Court Invite former Turkish president to testify

A former president of Turkey is invited to testify by the chief prosecutor's workplace in Ankara as a "suspect" beneath an investigation into 1980 military intervention.

Former president Kenan Evren, then-Chief of General Staff at the time of the September 12 military intervention in 1980, and Tahsin Sahinkaya, the then air force commander, the only two alive members of the National Security Council established following the coup, are invited by the chief prosecutor.

Murat Demir, the deputy Chief Public Prosecutor, was assigned in April to launch an investigation into 1980 military coup on charges of "staging a military intervention" and "trying to change the constitutional order by arms force."

The probe came up following amendment with the constitutional report in 2010 by way of a referendum that banned judicial action against the coup.

Evren's lawyer requested the chief prosecutor to let the former president testify at his property in Ankara because of his age and well being issues. The prosecutor's workplace said it would assess the request, semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

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