A Turkish court has sentenced ex-military chief Ilker Basbug to life in prison for plotting a coup. Source: AAP
ANGRY protests have erupted in Turkey after a former army chief and 16 others were sentenced to life in prison following a high-profile coup plot trial.
The verdicts sparked scenes of anger outside the court on Monday, and thousands of protesters clashed with police in the streets.
The trial, in which 275 people were accused of plotting against the Islamic-rooted government, was seen as a key test in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's showdown with secularist and military opponents during his decade-long rule.
Charges against defendants ranged from membership of an underground "terrorist organisation" dubbed Ergenekon to arson, illegal weapons possession, and instigating an armed uprising against Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Ex-military chief Ilker Basbug, several other army officers, as as well as reporter Tuncay Ozkan and lawyer Kemal Kerinsiz, were all sentenced to life in prison.
"The final say belongs to the people," local media quoted Basbug as saying.
"Those who have always stood by ... justice have a clear conscience. I am one of those people."
Most other defendants received jail sentences, while 21 were acquitted.
About 10,000 people protested outside the court complex after the verdicts were announced, with some throwing stones at riot police who responded with water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets.
In Ankara, hundreds of people also marched in demonstration at the court ruling, chanting: "We are soldiers of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk," a reference to modern Turkey's founder.
Speaking ahead of the verdicts, journalist and opposition MP Mustafa Balbay, who was later handed 34 years and eight month sentence, said the trial was "purely political".
The heavy sentences handed down to journalists sparked criticism from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), accusing European Union hopeful Turkey of violating free speech.
The verdicts, which were expected to be appealed, come after Turkey was rocked by mass protests in June that presented Erdogan's government, seen as increasingly authoritarian, with its biggest public challenge since it came to power.
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