Europe

Europe

Turkish court arrests general in propaganda case

05 September 2011 17:46 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A court in Turkey’s Istanbul Monday ordered the arrest of a general in a case alleging the Turkish Armed Forces set up websites to spread anti-government propaganda with the aim of toppling the government, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The court ordered the arrest of Lt. Gen. Ismail Hakki Pekin, the head of the Intelligence department of the Turkish Armed Forces, after he turned himself in on Monday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

Pekin told the court that the document regarding the websites was prepared by the General Staff Command and was an official and legal document.

Arrest warrants for Pekin and 13 other active and retired officers were issued last month in relation to the case.

The suspects in the propaganda website case are being accused of "attempting to overthrow the government" and of "leading and being members of an armed terror organization."

The investigation into the propaganda websites was launched in 2010.

The alleged plot involves a military plan to destroy the image of the ruling Justice and Development Party in the eyes of the public, play down the Ergenekon coup plot investigation and garner support for members of the military arrested as part of the investigation into Ergenekon.

Ergenekon is an alleged clandestine organization within the state structure accused of plotting to overthrow the government.