Today the Court will announce its verdict in the Ergenekon trial.

275 people have been tried in the five-year-long case. The verdict will be announced by Silivri Court which has been heavily protected by police and  security forces. In the last couple of days dozens have been taken into custody as a "precautios" measure, as the authorities said, i.e. in an attempt to avoid any protests.

The trial began in 2007 with the discovery of 27 hand grenades in a house in Istanbul. Among the people on trial are former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ, Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Mehmet Haberal and Mustafa Balbay and journalists Tuncay Özkan and İlhan Selçuk. A number of high-ranking army personnel, including retired generals Veli Küçük, Hasan Iğsız, Hurşit Tolon and Şener Eruygur, have been jailed too.

Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization made up of some sections of armed forces, secret services, political parties, media, aiming to overthrow the government through a military coup. Very similar in its structure and functioning to the Italian Gladio.