Ankara: Turkish top-ranking active duty military officer Gen. Bilgin Balanlı has been sent to jail in charges of plotting to overthrow the government.
An Istanbul court has ordered the arrest of the highest-ranking active-duty military officer and War Academies Commander Gen. Balanlı. Before being sent to jail on Monday Gen. Balanlı was testified for hours in front of the prosecutor. He is the first active-duty top general arrested in connection with the alleged coup plans.
Gen. Balanlı was arrested as a suspect in the ongoing “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) case, which is based on documents reportedly seized in February from a house. A member of the intelligence branch of the Turkish Armed Forces, Col. Hakan Büyük has already been arrested on charges of plotting a military coup.
The new evidence in regard with the case consisted of written documents, video files and digital material on a flash disk, and included plans to be put into action if the alleged coup attempt were to fail.
Eight other active-duty officers were released on Saturday after providing 12 hours of testimony on the same charges.
The testimonies came at a time when relations between the government and the top officers of Turkish Armed Force are increasingly tense, reportedly due to the ongoing investigations of alleged coup plots. Of the approximately 300 active-duty generals, 29 are under arrest on charges of plotting to overthrow the government.
At least 160 soldiers – both active-duty and retired – are in prison pending trial on suspected links to the alleged coup plans.
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