Turkey’s Erdogan pardons elderly generals imprisoned over 1997 ‘postmodern coup’

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s president has pardoned seven former top military officers who were sentenced to life terms in prison over the ouster of an Islamic-led government in 1997. The generals were pardoned on Friday due to ill-health or old age. They were sentenced in 2018 for their role in a campaign that forced the resignation of the prime minister of the time, Necmettin Erbakan. The ouster was later dubbed Turkey’s “postmodern coup” because unlike previous military takeovers in the country, no tanks or soldiers were used. The trial was one of several held in the country against military officers as part of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to make generals account for intervening in politics.