Turkey’s powerful generals have reason to be concerned. According to opinion polls, Turks will vote for constitutional reforms which will curb the power of the army. An army which has staged three coup d’états in 150 years, killing thousands of people.

“They hung me up with my arms spread, like Jesus. Then they gave me electric shocks on my genitals, toes and ears.” Celalettin Can was arrested in 1981, when the generals were in power in Turkey. Mr Can resisted the military rule.

Relief
The generals staged a coup d’état on 12 September 1980, putting an end to escalating violence between right and left-wing activists. Many Turks were relieved at first. But their relief soon made way for fear, as tens of thousands of people were rounded up after the coup, thousands tortured and dozens executed.

It is September 2010, around 50 men and women gather on a street corner in Istanbul. Celalettin Can has organised a demonstration. All of these people were victims of the 1980 coup d’état. Some were held in prison, others lost loved ones.

The demonstration is outside a large military complex. Armed guards march to and fro. The police look on. Mr Can picks up a megaphone. “That is where the coup was planned,” he says, “that is why we are demonstrating here. We want the generals to pay, because I was held here for 19 years of my life, but they still walk free.”

Prosecution
There is a chance that the generals will face prosecution, as the current Islamic-oriented government wants to remove the army’s immunity and reduce its power. It is trying to make this possible by changing the constitution.

It won't be easy, generals in Turkey have always wielded great power. The army has always intervened when they feared the republic's secular character has come under threat. As a result there have been three coups d’état in 150 years.

If the Turks agree to constitutional reform on Sunday, it will bring the prosecution of the generals a step closer. But that does not mean they will actually answer for their actions. Their crimes may have expired, and laws may have to be amended. The coup leader of 1980 says he would rather end his life than face trial.

Opposition
Polls indicate the Yes-vote will win, but there is also a lot of opposition. Many people fear the Islamic government plans to introduce sharia law one day. They think a strong army could prevent that happening. One student says, “I’m voting No, because otherwise we will drift away from the West and become closer to the East. If we want to become a civilised country, that would not be a good step.”