[Al Arabiya Latest] Turkish police on Thursday detained around 20 people in connection to an alleged plot to topple the Islamist-rooted government, and the detainees included retired and active military officers, state media said.The operation was part of an investigation into the "Ergenekon" network, an alleged right-wing militant group that prosecutors say had planned to overthrow Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party government, broadcaster NTV said.
State-run news agency Anatolian said the detentions took place in eight cities and that the operation was still going on. There was no immediate word on their identities or ranks.
The plot is one of several alleged conspiracies that have strained ties between the secularist military and the ruling AK Party, unsettling investors in the European Union-candidate.
News of the detentions did not have an immediate impact on Turkish assets, which were trading weaker on Thursday after a newspaper column said a new court bid to ban the AK Party may be launched as soon as Friday.