WASHINGTON NOT CONCERNED OVER ARRESTS OF SENIOR OFFICERS IN TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
23.02.2010 19:10 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US has no concerns over the recent arrests of
senior former generals in Turkey in a suspected coup plot, a spokesman
with the US State Department Philip Crowley said in Washington.
"These processes in Turkish politics and society are not new, and I
do not think that we are particularly concerned over this. any action
taken should be in accord with Turkish law and should be transparent,
" the Turkish newspaper Today’s Zaman wrote.
Dozens of senior officers, including a former Deputy Chief of General
Staff, retired Army General Ergin Saygun have been arrested on charges
of plotting a coup in Turkey. A Former Air Force commander, retired
Army General Fyrtyna Ibrahim, a former Navy commander, Admiral retired
Omek Ozgen, a retired general Engin Alan are among the detainees.
According to the source, 10 colonels, four admirals, 17 generals
(some of them are retired) were arrested. 50 arrests were held in
Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Over the past 50 years there were four military coups in Turkey:
on May 27, 1960, on March 12, 1971, on September 12, 1980 and on
February 28, 1997.