A court on Sunday brought charges against three military officers and a civilian who were allegedly planning an attack on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Anatolia news agency reported. The four were among a dozen detained on May 30 following a raid on a house in an Ankara suburb. Police seized explosives and drawings showing the neighbourhood of Erdogan's home in Ankara as well as branches of the BIM supermarket chain which is owned by Cuneyt Zapsu, a top aide to Erdogan. The court charged the four with "forming an illegal gang aiming to disrupt the country's unity" and with possession of explosives, Anatolia said. The other suspects were released after questioning. Court officials could not be reached for comment.
The four face maximum a 15 years in prison if found guilty. Turkey's powerful military on Saturday chided the police for not informing military authorities about the officers' detention. In a written statement, the military said it was informed about the detentions from the media the next day. |