Turkish general should face supreme court trial, his lawyer says

The former head of Turkey's armed forces, General Ilker Basbug, should be tried in the supreme court if he is charged with plotting to overthrow the government, his lawyer told Reuters.

Lawyer Ilkay Sezer said late on Saturday that Basbug had worked in tandem with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party government for seven years and he was stunned by the belated accusations against him, Reuters reported.

"There has been no allegation of a crime until now, that is one and a half years following his retirement ... He says it is beyond his comprehension," Sezer told Reuters.

Sezer said any indictment should be framed by the Supreme Court of Appeals and the case heard by Turkey's top court.

Basbug, military chief of staff from 2008-2010, was sent to Silivri prison, outside Istanbul, on Friday after an Istanbul court ordered he be remanded in custody while the prosecution completed its investigation and prepared formal charges.

Sezer said he was appealing against the custody order.