30 July 2009 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Two naval lieutenants detained on Monday on charges of plotting to assassinate two admirals were arrested by a court, one on Tuesday and the other yesterday.
Lt. Tarık Ayabakan was brought to the Beşiktaş courthouse on Tuesday and interrogated by prosecutor Süleyman Pehlivan, who is conducting the investigation. Pehlivan demanded the arrest of Ayabakan after his testimony, and the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court ordered the arrest on Tuesday evening.The other lieutenant detained on Monday was also sent to the Beşiktaş courthouse on Wednesday and was arrested after being interrogated by prosecutor Pehlivan. Three naval lieutenants were also arrested on July 21 on charges of having plotted to assassinate two admirals. Prosecutors accused the lieutenants of planning assassinations of two admirals identified as “Uğur” and “Metin.”
Two more lieutenants were arrested as part of the same investigation on July 23. Including another who was arrested on Tuesday, the number of lieutenants arrested on charges of plotting to assassinate admirals has increased to seven.
