Turkish army officers arrested in relation to Ergenekon case

19/09/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- The army announced on Thursday (September 18th) the arrests of five lieutenants and a cadet, the first active military officers reportedly involved in the shadowy separatist group Ergenekon, which faces charges of planning a coup d'etat. Authorities have detained 90 people so far. They also rounded up on Thursday actress Nurseli Idiz and talent agent Seyhan Soylu. The Ergenekon case began after police discovered a stash of hand grenades in June 2007 in an Istanbul house owned by a retired noncommissioned officer. The grenades matched those used in attacks against the Istanbul offices of the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper in 2006. (Sabah, Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal - 19/09/08; Reuters, CNN Turk, NTV, Anadolu news agency - 18/09/08)

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