Turkey’s appeals court Wednesday upheld the convictions of scores of top retired military officers over a 2003 coup plot but overturned jail sentences handed to dozens of lower-ranking defendants

Turkey's appeals court Wednesday upheld the convictions of scores of top retired military officers over a 2003 coup plot but overturned jail sentences handed to dozens of lower-ranking defendants.

The court in Ankara confirmed an earlier judgment that found the former commanders of the army, navy and air force guilty of plotting to oust Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government and sentenced them to 20 years behind bars.
  
The appeals court also upheld the acquittal of 34 officers accused of involvement in the plot named "Sledgehammer", referring to an 2003 army exercise.
  
And it quashed jail sentences handed down to dozens of lower-ranking officers. Relatives of those whose convictions were upheld collapsed in tears outside the courtroom after the ruling was announced.
  
Around 50 protesters -- also relatives of the convicted officers -- marched to the military headquarters to express their anger at the silence of the General Staff. "Have you heard the verdicts? Shame on you!" shouted angry protesters as they waved Turkish flags.