"sledgehammer" coup plan allegations

Second Wave of Detentions in "Sledgehammer" Case

Today a further eighteen soldiers, one of them retired, were taken into police custody. They are being brought to Istanbul.

Tolga Korkut

Second Wave of Detentions in "Sledgehammer" Case

In an operation spanning 13 provinces, eighteen more soldiers have been taken into custody. They are being taken to Istanbul.

Among them is the Konya Province Gendarmerie Commander.

According to the breaking news, the soldiers, 17 of whom are still on active duty, are being investigated in relation to further coup plans named "Chador" and "Beard".

On 22 February, 49 soldiers, some of them retired, were detained. As of this morning (26 February), 31 of them have been arrested.

In January, the daily Taraf newspaper first published allegations of the "Sledgehammer" coup plan, which included the "Chador" and "Beard" plans. There are said to have been plans to bomb the Fatih and Beyazit Mosques in Istanbul in order to create public outrage and tensions. This would have paved the way for a coup. (TK/AG)