Turkey Detains General Erdal Ozturk, Third Army Commander: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A top army general has been detained over alleged involvement in a coup attempt aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, an official said.
"General Erdal Ozturk, commander of the Third Army, has been detained," said the Turkish official late on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity, AFP reported.
Turkish authorities wrested back control of the country Saturday, after crushing a military coup by discontented soldiers seeking to seize power from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that claimed more than 250 lives.
After facing down the bloodiest challenge to his 13-year rule, Erdogan triumphantly addressed thousands of supporters in his home Istanbul district after urging people to take to the streets following Friday's chaos in the strategic NATO member of 80 million people.
The authorities blamed Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric who is Erdogan's arch enemy, for the plot and lost no time in rounding up 2,839 soldiers over alleged involvement, amid global alarm over the extent of the retribution.
