1980 coup leaders on trial

Evren, who went on to become president after the coup, is now 94 years old. He will be joined on trial by another key orchestrator of the military takeover, former air force commander Tashin Sahinkaya, 87.

While the two men face charges of crimes against the state, it is unlikely they will appear in a courtroom. Both are in poor health, and plans are being put into place that would allow the men to appear on video from hospital beds.

Evren and Sahinkaya are the only surviving members of the military junta that overthrew the government in 1980. The military regime that followed has been accused of widespread human rights abuses. Evren served as Turkey's president from 1982 to 1989, when he retired.

The constitution that was established in 1982 exempted the generals from prosecution, but an amendment passed 30 years after the coup lifted this immunity.

The backers of the coup argued that they had intervened to restore order after clashes between extremist groups brought Turkey to the brink of civil war.

Keeping military at bay

Turkey had previously experienced two other military takeovers - in 1960 and 1971 - but the 1980 coup is known as the bloodiest. The military saw itself for years as the guarantor of secularism in the country. An Islamist-rooted government was also pressured to relinquish power in 1997 by the military.

The military's influence in Turkey has declined since the Justice and Democracy (AKP) party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2002, but the party has butted heads with the military every since.

Several officers and retired generals have landed in court over alleged coup plots. Many are said to belong to the Ergendekon network, which is accused of conspiracies against Erdogan.

Some say the Ergendekon trials are the Erdogan government's way of silencing opponents - charges the government denies.

Should Evren and Sahinkaya be found guilty, they could receive a life sentence.

mz/av (AFP, Reuters)