A court awarded a compensation package of TL 1.36 million ($473,802) to former general and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Engin Alan for his false imprisonment in the "Balyoz" (Sledgehammer) coup plot case.
The settlement, to be paid out by the Sixth Heavy Penal Court of Ankara, will be the highest sum awarded in a case of false imprisonment. Several of these cases took place under the direction of prosecutors and police officers linked to the illicit Gülen Movement. Public prosecutors stated during the trial that Alan's arrest and conviction were the result of false evidence and the unjust treatment he received was documented by experts, who claimed that Alan deserved financial compensation from the court.
Alan was arrested in April 2010 during investigations in the Balyoz case, which involved several high-ranking military officers who were accused of attempting to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison, along with 323 other suspects who were sentenced to terms ranging from life imprisonment to six years.
Last year, Turkey's highest legal authority overruled the court decision due to violations of the defendant's rights and suspicion of fake evidence used in the case. The Constitutional Court's ruling led to the release of Alan. In March 2015, most of the defendants involved in the case were also acquitted in a re-trial after the digital data which was used as evidence in court to convict the individuals was deemed fake.
