New military arrests in Turkey

Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir have had another flow of military arrests. 7 former high-ranking military officers were arrested for attempting to organize a coup in 1997, 1news.az reports.

They include Gendarmerie General Feyzi Turkeri, Generals Cevik Bir and Erol Ozkasnak, Rear Admirals Abdullah Kylycarslan and Idris Koralp, some colonels and captains.

The military pressurized Necmetting Erbakan’s government to resign in February 1997. The military feared return of fundamentalism and desecularization of power under pro-Islamic Erbakan, leader of the Welfare Party. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan started his carried and ideology there.