Sweeping detentions of former top generals exempts Özkök

With many former air and navy forces commanders now in custody, Ergenekon prosecutors have now detained all top commanders from 2003 and 2004 except Hilmi Özkök, the former chief of General Staff.

Aytaç Yalman and Şener Eruygur, land forces and gendarmerie forces commanders, were detained in 2008 as part of the ongoing Ergenekon case, an alleged organization that aimed to topple the government in 2003 and 2004. Eruygur, meanwhile, was later placed under arrest.

In addition to the former military commanders, a number of other four-star generals were taken into custody Monday including the following:

İbrahim Fırtına: Former Air Force chief from 2003 to 2005. In another alleged plot against the government, known as the Sledgehammer (Balyoz) Operation, he allegedly ordered Turkish jets to fly over religious places with the aim of provoking people. The military strongly denies the allegations.

Özden Örnek: Former Navy chief between 2003 and 2005. Though he has strenuously denied the claims, his diary, which discussed the generals’ alleged plans to stage a coup in those years, has become the main evidence for Ergenekon prosecutors.

Çetin Doğan: Former commander of the 1st Army based in Istanbul between 2002 and 2004. His name appeared on the agenda when daily Taraf published a plot plan against the government. Doğan said the plan was merely a scenario and was designed to coordinate the military in case of a massive uprising.

Ergin Saygun: Former 1st Army commander and deputy chief of the General Staff. Known for his expertise in the fight against terrorism, Saygun was in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s delegation to Washington in 2007 when the United States agreed to provide operational intelligence to Turkey. Saygun, meanwhile, coordinated such anti-terrorism efforts with the U.S.

Engin Alan: Former lieutenant general. He was head of the team that caught Abdullah Öcalan, the now-imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in 1999.

Among other former officers who were detained Monday are former Vice Adm. Lütfi Sancar, Col. Kubilay Aktaş, Ali İhsan Çuhadaroğlu, Suat Aydın, Bülent Tuncay, Özer Karabulut and Emin Küçükkılıç.

The PKK is regarded as a terrorist organization by Turkey, as well as the United States and the European Union.