Turkey Unveils Military Coup Plot

ANKARA [MENL] -- Turkey has reported a military plot to overthrow the
pro-Islamic government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.
A police investigation has uncovered evidence that leading Turkish
generals examined the feasibility of toppling the ruling Justice and
Development Party, or AKP, as early as 2003, months after its election. The
generals were said to have sought approval from then-President Ahmet Sezer,
an avowed secularist, to launch the coup.
The police seized minutes of meetings of leading commanders who
discussed the need to drive AKP from power. The minutes reported meetings on
July 15-16, 2003, which included warnings that the pro-Islamist party must
be toppled within 18 months or the military would undergo severe
restrictions by the European Union. Ankara has sought to join the EU.
The generals were said to have agreed to criticize the government in
Turkey's media, mobilize secular opponents for mass demonstrations and use
military intelligence to spy on AKP. Police also determined that the
military brass agreed to undermine Erdogan and his top aides in meetings
with politicians.