The High Criminal Court led by judge Koksal Sengun on Monday has adjourned hearing the Ergenekon case to October 23 to examine the requests of the lawyers and defendants.

On Monday's hearing, the Istanbul Criminal Court decided to continue hearing the "Ergenekon" case at a court house built inside the Silivri prison complex.

The 86 defendants including retired Gen. Veli Kucuk, Labor Party (IP) Chairman Dogu Perincek, journalist Ilhan Selcuk and former rector of Istanbul University Kemal Yalcin Alemdaroglu are accused of attempting to remove the Turkish government by force. 46 of the defendants are under arrest.

Defendants Selcuk and IP Deputy Chairman Ferit Ilsever did not attend the hearing due to health problems.

Tight security measures were taken in and around the building in the Silivri Prison.

An alleged criminal network that came to be known as "Ergenekon" was revealed after police seized 27 grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a shanty house in Istanbul on June 12, 2007 and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into weapons. Police waged operations in several provinces and detained a number of people, including retired senior army officers, journalists and businessmen,for their alleged involvement in the network. So far, 68 people were arrested in the probe. 46 of them are standing trial now. The remaining will appear in the court later.

The 2,455-page indictment regarding the Ergenekon probe carried out by prosecutors Zekeriya Oz, Mehmet Ali Pekguzel and Nihat taskin indicts 86 people on charges of attempting to overthrow Turkish government.

Prosecutors demanded life-imprisonment for some suspects including Kucuk, Perincek and Alemdaroglu on charges of attempting to overthrow Turkish government by force and inciting murder.

AA