Recommend this article  By Ozge Ozbilgin  ANKARA (Reuters) - A
retired Turkish general who seized power in 1980 denied on
Wednesday any role in the torture of thousands of people after a
coup that his co-defendant said saved the nation from chaos.
Kenan Evren, who led a military regime under which thousands
were tortured, hundreds sentenced to death and many more
disappeared, was speaking by video link from his hospital bed in
a trial that highlights the erosion of army power within Turkey.
In an interim judgment, the judge said only questions about coup
charges could be made during the proceedings, while the issue of
systematic torture was not a matter for the trial, drawing a
response from Evren.  "We had nothing to do with torture," said
the former president, looking more alert than on Tuesday when he
appeared to fall asleep.  Evren, 95, wore a dark jumper, a sheet
pulled up to his chest. A court judge was at his side and at one
point called for a break so that Evren could be given his
regular medicine.