Turkish army in new coup plot
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The Turkish government is no stranger to controversy, but is now facing a coup plot rocking its very foundations. The army has been accused of planning to overthrow the Islamic regime and the political storm is growing bigger by the day.
The allegations emerged in the Turkish Taraf newspaper, which published what it said was a military document detailing a plan to oust Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. The article said the scheme involved planting weapons in the homes of members of a powerful Islamic brotherhood with close ties to the government, then accusing the group of being linked to terrorism.
Taraf's deputy editor Yasmin Congar said: "It is very serious, it is very current - the date on the document is April 2009. Some people within the Turkish military were still making plans to fight with the elected government and to fight with a very large religious group in the country. In a way its a coup plot against the current government."
The Turkish army has for a long time regarded itself as the guardian of the secular state and has been locked in a power struggle with the ruling AK party since it was elected in 2002. The army accuses the party of harbouring a plan to undermine the seperation of religion and state and a number of generals are on trial for a seperate coup plot.
Although military sources have denied this latest scandal, the government is worried. Turkish MP Suat Kiniklioglu says: "I am not very optimistic that it will subside. I am very much concerned for the future."
In a further twist to the tale there are also rumours that the story could actually be a plot to discredit the army. People on the streets say they hear so many tales of government subterfuge they don't know what to believe. What does remain clear following the latest allegations is that the standoff between the military and Turkey's leaders shows no sign of ending.
Listen to a report by Dorian Jones:
