World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkey's main opposition party on Wednesday called for a parliamentary inquiry into the cases of some 300 members of Turkish Armed Forces who are serving prison terms in connection with an alleged military coup a decade ago.

Deputies from the Republican People's Party (CHP) want a parliamentary committee to inquire into allegations that the military officials are being held in prison for "no reason" in the so-called "Balyoz" (or Sledgehammer) case.

The Sledgehammer plot was a military coup planned by an suspected junta in the Turkish Armed Forces which reportedly dates back to 2003; a year after the ruling Justice and Development Party came to power. The plot allegedly sought to undermine the government, laying the groundwork for a military takeover.

According to the plan, the military was to systematically incite chaos in society through sensational plots including bombings of mosques in Istanbul and the downing of a Turkish war plane over the Aegean Sea.

However, the attempt failed and the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court started the trial in December 2010. The verdicts were announced September 21, 2012, with some 300 out of 365 people convicted of involvement in the plot and sentenced to imprisonment.