Istanbul demonstrators support arrest of coup plotters

Thousands of people have demonstrated in downtown Istanbul to voice their support for a wave of raids rounding up military officers tied to a 2003 coup plot against the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The demonstration came as prosecutors questioned more officers in the probe on Sunday.

It also marked the 13th anniversary of a show of strength by the staunchly secular military, which sent tanks rumbling through streets near the Turkish capital on February 28, 1997, forcing the country's first pro-Islamic prime minister, Necmettin Erbakan, to step down.

A total of 33 military officers, nearly half of them retired and active duty generals and admirals, were charged and jailed last week over the alleged "Sledgehammer" coup plot.

The plot was drawn up in 2003 shortly after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) assumed power. The alleged masterminds of the plan were retired Gen. Cetin Dogan, then commander of the Turkish army, retired former Air Forces Commander Gen. Ibrahim Firtina, and retired Gen. Ergin Saygun.

They allegedly agreed on the coup plot at a military meeting attended by 162 active military members, among them 29 generals.

According to the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) plan, the military was tasked with inciting bedlam in society through organized acts of violence, including bombing assaults on the Fatih and Beyazit mosques in Istanbul.

The bombings were code-named "Carsaf" (Black Chador) and "Sakal" (Beard) and were supposed to be carried out after worshipers attended Friday prayers.

A nine-member gang was to place a remote-control bomb in a shoe cabinet at the Fatih Mosque.

The bomb would go off only seconds after the completion of the Friday prayers. A number of agents provocateurs would add to the hectic ambiance inside the mosque.

At the Beyazit Mosque, a similar bomb would be placed in the garden of the mosque by a team of gendarmerie officers under the command of a major identified only by his initials, H.O.

The bomb would be detonated around 10 minutes before the call to Friday prayers. This time agents provocateurs were to call on the public to pour into the streets in condemnation of the deadly blast.

The desired result of these rallies would be an increase in domestic pressure on the AK Party government over their failure to ensure security across the country and their eventual expulsion from the political scene.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=119741§ionid=351020204.