Turkey arrests 10 retired admirals over government criticism

IslamNews – Turkish authorities on Monday detained 10 former admirals after a group of more than 100 retired senior navy officers issued a statement that government officials tied to Turkey’s history of military coups.

State-run Anadolu news agency said the retired admirals were detained as part of an investigation into their open letter, which was launched by the chief prosecutor in the capital, Ankara.

Prosecutors also ordered four other suspects to report to Ankara police within three days, opting not to detain them because of their age, the report said.

The former senior military leaders are accused of “using force and violence to get rid of the constitutional order”, NTV broadcaster reported.

The detentions come a day after the open letter signed by 104 retired admirals was sharply condemned by the presidential office, which said the move was “reminiscent of coup times” during Turkey’s past.

Source: Aljazeera