The Ergenekon case, with 275 defendants, began in 2007 when hand grenades were found in a squatter house in Istanbul after an anonymous phone tip. Hundreds of civilians and military personnel were detained on charges that they were involved with an alleged terrorist group called Ergenekon that planned to topple the government.

The first hearing was Oct. 20, 2008, and eventually the trial became the largest of the past decade when 23 indictment sheets were consolidated into one. In the trial process, which lasted about 6½ years, 600 hearings were held. Eight defendants died during that time. Among them were three military officers who reportedly committed suicide because they couldn’t live with what they felt was the indignity of the trial process. Istanbul's 13th High Criminal Court rendered its verdict Aug. 5, 2013, sentencing many to life imprisonment and others to heavy imprisonment for 12 to 34 years.

The following day, newspapers supportive of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and the Gulenist movement came out with banner headlines reading “Ergenekon terror organization smashed,” “End of military tutelage,” “Junta punished severely” and “Crime and punishment.”

Almost three years later, on April 21, the High Court of Appeals overturned the convictions because of procedural flaws and their lack of merit.