November 15, 2012 - 12:21 AMT
Turkish PM invited to testify in coup trial

A parliamentary panel established to look into military coups and memorandums has invited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to testify about the 1997 post-modern military coup, the 2007 “e-memorandum” and the much-speculated Dolmabahçe meeting of 2007, Hurriyet daily News reported.

İdris Şahin, the spokesperson of Parliament’s Coups and Military Memorandums Inquiry Commission, said that some members of the panel had requested to hear the Prime Minister even though the body ceased hearing witnesses on Nov. 10. “The commission decided to ask Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s opinion about the coups,” he said.

Commission chair Nimet Baş from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will contact Erdoğan and ask him to decide whether his testimony will be verbal or written. Erdoğan also has the right to refuse to testify before the commission.