The two surviving leaders of Turkey's 1980 military coup went on trial on Wednesday for their heavy crackdown on political freedom and a spate of executions, torture and disappearances committed under their command. The trial of retired Gen. Kenan Evren, who as military chief of staff led the coup and then the country from 1982 to 1989, and retired Gen. Tahsin Sahinkaya, chief of the air force at the time, comes as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is curtailing the military's clout. “This case is a milestone for Turkish democracy,” Selcuk Ozdag, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party said. “It is the result of the government's political will.” Evren was initially regarded as a hero by many Turks because the military takeover stopped fighting between leftist and right-wing groups that led to fears that Turkey was heading toward a civil war. But he is blamed for the torture of suspected militants and their supporters.
