Turkish court orders arrest of 102 suspects, including former generals, in alleged coup plot
By APFriday, July 23, 2010
Turkish court orders arrest of 102 in coup plot
ANKARA, Turkey — A court has ordered that 102 people, including at least three retired military commanders, be arrested and jailed pending trial for conspiring in 2003 to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government in an alleged coup plot.
The court said Friday the trial will begin Dec. 16 in the town of Silivri, near Istanbul. On Monday, the court had indicted a total of 196 people. Police are now expected to round up 102 of them, including Ret. Gen. Dogan Cetin, former commander of Turkey’s first army, former naval force commander Ozden Ornek, former air force commander Ibrahim Firtina.
They are accused of planning to create chaos to pave the way for a military takeover in an alleged conspiracy dubbed “Sledgehammer.”
