Istanbul ( CNN ) -- A criminal court in Turkey brought the hammer down hard on hundreds of acting and retired senior military commanders , found guilty of plotting to overthrow the government , state media reported Friday . Three-hundred-thirty of the 365 suspects were sentenced to up to two decades behind bars , in a trial reflecting the relatively new reduction of military influence in the nation 's political landscape . Former air force commander Ibrahim Firtina , former head of the navy Ozden Ornek and an ex-army commander named Cetin Dogan had their initial life sentences reduced to 20 years , according to state media . Analysts say the plot -- widely referred to as Balyoz , or `` Sledgehammer '' in English -- further reinforces the shift in a balance of power oriented toward more civilian authority . Six other generals and one former member of parliament were sentenced to 18 years in prison , while 34 others were acquitted and another defendant was separated from the case . Dozens of military commanders -- once considered untouchable in Turkish society -- have been in prison for more than two years as the controversial trial dragged on . `` The decision seems to be designed to set a precedent and give a strong signal to the armed forces that the days of meddling in politics are over , '' wrote Suat Kiniklioglu , a senior member of Turkey 's ruling Justice and Development Party , in an e-mail to CNN . `` Anyone attempting to discredit or overthrow a democratically-elected government in the future will think twice . ... I think it is clear the judiciary is intent on consolidating the gains it made over the deep state and its military wing in recent years . '' From outside the remote prison on the outskirts of Istanbul where the trial was held , Turkish television broadcast live images of despondent relatives after the verdict was announced . Some wept , while a woman could be seen being carried out of the building after she apparently collapsed . If the sentences are upheld , some of the elderly former commanders are likely to live the rest of their lives behind bars . `` The murder of justice turned into a massacre of justice with the decision given today , '' a defense attorney named Huseyin Ersoz said , reading what he described as a joint statement from many of the defendants . `` We have never betrayed our country , nation , state and flag . '' Related story : Will Turkey have soft landing or turbulence ? The Sledgehammer investigation dates back to 2003 and marks a sizable setback for the once politically dominant Turkish armed forces , which have overthrown four governments in the last half-century . The widely-watched trial demonstrated a victory in the ongoing power struggle between the country 's long-ruling secular elite and the Islamist-inspired elected government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan . Erdogan , who was jailed in the 1990s for reading a poem about Islam in public , sparred with military commanders during his first years in office . But after handily winning consecutive elections , he has succeed in cowing the military during nearly 10 years in office , arguably becoming the most powerful politician Turkey has seen in generations . In 2011 , Erdogan enjoyed strong support in parliamentary elections , edging the nation away from its traditionally securalist leanings . In a statement to journalists on Friday , Erdogan appeared to suggest the sentences could be diminished through an appeals process . `` We have to watch and see the appeals process as well , '' Erdogan said . `` Our wish is for a just decision to come out of this . But it has not come to an end yet because there is an ongoing process . '' Related story : Turkey 's Kurdish conflict has turned more violent , says report . While the arrest of the generals was welcomed in some circles , other liberal voices in the Turkish media have criticized the conduct of the trial as well as the evidence presented . `` The sentence was too harsh and confirms the opinion of many people in Turkey who believe this was essentially an attempt to settle political scores with the ancien regime , as opposed to being a fair trial , '' said Asli Aydintasbas , a columnist with the newspaper Milliyet . `` This is not to whitewash the military role in Turkey 's past . ... But some of the evidence presented in this case would not hold in a court of law in any other country . '' Thought to be crucial to NATO interests given its geostrategic significance -- Turkey borders Iraq and Syria to the south and Russia to its northeast -- the stability of the country 's democratic government has long remained a concern of foreign policy experts . CNN 's Talia Kayali contributed to this report .
NEW : Court on Friday convicts 330 suspects of a plot to overthrow Turkey 's government . Dozens of military commanders , once considered untouchable , have been imprisoned . Defense attorneys accuse government , prosecutors and judges of a political witch hunt . They say the defendants could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if found guilty .