ISTANBUL
A court in Istanbul ordered for the arrest of a Turkish journalist Monday on charges of plotting against suspects of the "Sledgehammer" military coup case.
Mehmet Baransu, 37, was detained Sunday in Istanbul by police. He was found guilty for forming an organization for crime plus acquiring, disclosing and destroying confidential state documents.
Baransu faces sentences to up to eight years in prison for obtaining the confidential documents and another 12 years for disclosing and destroying them.
On Sunday counter-terrorism teams searched Baransu's home in Kagithane district for compact disks and documents. The search lasted about 12 hours and the police seized CDs, which contained up to 118 stolen confidential state documents.
On Monday, an Istanbul prosecutor recommended that Baransu face four charges, including, forming an organization for crime as well as acquiring, disclosing and destroying confidential state documents.
Sledgehammer ("Balyoz") is the name given to an alleged military coup plot by a junta within the Turkish Armed Forces reportedly dating back to 2003, a year after the current ruling Justice and Development Party came to power.
It allegedly aimed at undermining the ruling government and laid the groundwork for a military takeover.
According to the alleged plan, the military was to systematically foment chaos in society through violence, including the bombing of mosques in Istanbul and downing of a Turkish warplane over the Aegean.
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