Former armed forces commander general Ilker Basbug stormed out of an Istanbul courtroom on Tuesday and denounced his trial on terrorism charges as an assault on the entire military leadership and a "black stain" on the country's history. Basbug's outburst on the second day of his trial was the most dramatic demonstration yet of tensions that have simmered between the armed forces and the prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, who has reined in their influence since winning power in 2002.
Basbug, who headed the military between 2008-2010, declared the trial a "comedy" and said he did not recognise the judges' authority over him. He demanded referral to the Supreme Court. The general's patience snapped when the court was played a tapped telephone conversation between two other suspects accused of planning to engineer a coup through bombings and assassinations in what has become known as the "Ergenekon" case.
Basbug switched on his microphone and, to laughter from spectators, many of them supporters, told the judges to stop playing the tapes. They were, he said, irrelevant to the case. "Your honour, this is a serious court, but it has become tabloidised. This is a black stain in history," Basbug, wearing a dark suit, said to applause from supporters.
The judge threatened to clear spectators from the courtroom. "Clear it, sir, do clear it," Basbug interjected angrily. "Even playing these tapes here is a shame." With that, the grey-haired general turned and strode out of the courtroom. The general returned to the courtroom later, after the judges called a recess, but refused to answer questions. The case is being heard at a court in the high-security Silivri prison complex, where Basbug has been held since early January.
The hearing was later adjourned until Thursday. Basbug is accused of being among the leaders of an alleged network, known as Ergenekon, behind plots to topple a government many in the military and elsewhere in the secularist establishment suspect of harbouring a secret Islamist agenda. Erdogan, whose AK party embraces nationalists and centre-right elements as well as religious conservatives, denies his party has such ambitions. Ergenekon is suspected of planning bombings, assassinations and disinformation to stir panic and precipitate an army coup.