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Former army chief detained over 1997 coup in Turkey | Former army chief detained over 1997 coup in Turkey |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A former Turkish army chief, Gen Ismail Hakki Karadayi, has been detained over a military intervention that ousted a pro-Islamist government in 1997. | A former Turkish army chief, Gen Ismail Hakki Karadayi, has been detained over a military intervention that ousted a pro-Islamist government in 1997. |
Gen Karadayi was detained at his home in Istanbul and taken to the capital, Ankara, for questioning. | Gen Karadayi was detained at his home in Istanbul and taken to the capital, Ankara, for questioning. |
He is suspected of helping what became known as the post-modern coup, as no soldiers were involved. | He is suspected of helping what became known as the post-modern coup, as no soldiers were involved. |
Former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan was forced to resign in 1997, being replaced by a civilian government. | Former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan was forced to resign in 1997, being replaced by a civilian government. |
Last May another six retired generals linked with Mr Erbakan's removal from power were charged. | |
BBC regional analyst Kumru Baser says Gen Karadayi's detention was widely expected. | |
The general has already given evidence to a parliamentary committee on the matter and denies that he played any part in alleged army interference in politics. | |
However, his deputy at the time, Gen Cevik Bir, disagrees and has insisted during all the investigation that he was simply following Gen Karadayi's orders. | |
Separately, investigations are continuing into other coup plots by the military. | |
Turkey's military has long seen itself as the guarantor of the country's secular constitution, analysts say. | Turkey's military has long seen itself as the guarantor of the country's secular constitution, analysts say. |
It staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and has a history of tension with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. | It staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and has a history of tension with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. |
The Islamist-rooted AKP, in power since 2002, emerged from Mr Erbakan's Welfare Party, which was outlawed after the army intervention. | |
A Turkish court sentenced three former army generals to 20 years in jail each in September for plotting another coup. More than 300 officers were convicted of involvement in the plot. | |
They were accused of plotting to bomb mosques and trying to trigger a war with Greece in order to justify a military coup against the elected government of Mr Erdogan in 2003. | They were accused of plotting to bomb mosques and trying to trigger a war with Greece in order to justify a military coup against the elected government of Mr Erdogan in 2003. |
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