Retired Gen. Ergin Saygun arrested

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

An Istanbul court yesterday arrested retired Gen. Ergin Saygun on charges of attempting to overthrow the government.

Saygun, who was under treatment at the Gülhane Military Academy of Medicine (GATA) since February 2011, is a suspect in the ongoing “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) case.

Saygun’s lawyers demanded his release, citing his health conditions, but the request was turned down by the court, Anatolia news agency reported.

Sledgehammer is an alleged military coup plot against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said to have been set up in 2003. According to allegations, the military planned drastic measures to foment unrest in the country in order to remove the AKP from power. These measures included bombing two major mosques in Istanbul, assaulting a military museum disguised as religious extremists and raising tensions with Greece by attacking a Turkish plane in an incident that was to be blamed on the Aegean neighbor.