Monday, February 22, 2010
ANKARA: Turkish police Monday detained more than 40 people, including former air force and navy chiefs, in connection with an alleged military plot against the Islamist-rooted government, officials and media reports said.
The police swoop came amid rising tensions between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist movement, and its secularist opponents.
"This morning our security forces began a detention process," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference during an official visit to Spain.
"As of now, more than 40 people have been detained," he said, but gave no details on who was arrested.
The CNN-Turk and NTV news channels said police detained former air force chief Ibrahim Firtina, former navy chief Ozden Ornek and other high-ranking officers both retired and on active service in Ankara, Istanbul, the western city of Izmir and the northwestern city of Bursa.
Those held were brought to Istanbul for questioning by anti-terror police.
They included at least five other retired top officials, among them Ergin Saygun, the former First Army commander and retired admirals Ahmet Feyyaz Ogutcu and Lutfi Sancar, the reports said.
CNN-Turk said army chief Ilker Basbug postponed a three-day official trip to Egypt because of the operation.
There was no comment on the detentions either from police or prosecutors who ordered the arrests.
ANKARA: Turkish police Monday detained more than 40 people, including former air force and navy chiefs, in connection with an alleged military plot against the Islamist-rooted government, officials and media reports said.
The police swoop came amid rising tensions between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist movement, and its secularist opponents.
"This morning our security forces began a detention process," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference during an official visit to Spain.
"As of now, more than 40 people have been detained," he said, but gave no details on who was arrested.
The CNN-Turk and NTV news channels said police detained former air force chief Ibrahim Firtina, former navy chief Ozden Ornek and other high-ranking officers both retired and on active service in Ankara, Istanbul, the western city of Izmir and the northwestern city of Bursa.
Those held were brought to Istanbul for questioning by anti-terror police.
They included at least five other retired top officials, among them Ergin Saygun, the former First Army commander and retired admirals Ahmet Feyyaz Ogutcu and Lutfi Sancar, the reports said.
CNN-Turk said army chief Ilker Basbug postponed a three-day official trip to Egypt because of the operation.
There was no comment on the detentions either from police or prosecutors who ordered the arrests.
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