Religion & Spirituality - Turkey arrests suspected coup plotters

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Turkey arrests suspected coup plotters

Turkish authorities said 21 people were in custody Wednesday for allegedly plotting to overthrow the country's pro-Islamic government.

The list of detainees includes retired generals and a newspaper editor, The New York Times quoted the semi-official Anatolian News Agency as reporting. After the arrests Tuesday, Turkey's chief prosecutor responded by going before the nation's Constitutional Court seeking to disband the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.

The government said the alleged plotters were members of an ultranationalist group called Ergenekon, which it says has been collecting weapons and explosives for use in a coup attempt. They oppose the pious brand of Muslim faith practiced by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other AKP members, the Times said.

In his suit to disband the AKP, prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya accused the ruling party of trying to undermine Turkey's secular system of government, and seeks to ban Gul, Erdogan and 69 others from politics.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.

This news arrived on: 07/03/2008

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