Turkey probes alleged coup plot
Source: Agencies |
February 24, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
PROSECUTORS interrogated 51 Turkish military commanders yesterday over alleged plans to destabilize the country by blowing up mosques to trigger a coup and topple the Islamic-rooted government.
With the former chiefs of the Air Force and the Navy among those being questioned, it was the highest crackdown ever on the Turkish military, which has ousted four governments since 1960.
The sweep has dramatically deepened a power struggle between the secular establishment and the government, which has strong electoral backing and the European Union's support.
For decades Turkey's senior officers, self-appointed guardians of the country's secular tradition, have called the shots. Known as "pashas," - a title of respect harking back to Ottoman times - they were once deemed untouchable.
But the balance of power in this EU-candidate country shifted on Monday as police rounded up the 51 commanders following the gathering of wiretap evidence and the discovery of an alleged secret coup plan, dubbed "the sledgehammer," prepared when the commanders were on duty between 2003 and 2005.
Turkey was abuzz with speculation about whether recordings of the plotters, posted on Websites, were genuine.
With the former chiefs of the Air Force and the Navy among those being questioned, it was the highest crackdown ever on the Turkish military, which has ousted four governments since 1960.
The sweep has dramatically deepened a power struggle between the secular establishment and the government, which has strong electoral backing and the European Union's support.
For decades Turkey's senior officers, self-appointed guardians of the country's secular tradition, have called the shots. Known as "pashas," - a title of respect harking back to Ottoman times - they were once deemed untouchable.
But the balance of power in this EU-candidate country shifted on Monday as police rounded up the 51 commanders following the gathering of wiretap evidence and the discovery of an alleged secret coup plan, dubbed "the sledgehammer," prepared when the commanders were on duty between 2003 and 2005.
Turkey was abuzz with speculation about whether recordings of the plotters, posted on Websites, were genuine.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
