Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Mass arrests in the Ergenekon case

The Government of Turkey has been moving against what it considers an "arch-rightist plot" against the elected administration, and this weekend they made another series of arrests, detaining 40 more accused conspirators.

Where this is likely going to run into problems, as was discussed here back in January, is over the criterion being used to determine the nature of the conspiracy. Is it really a plot, with active hands in the military preparing to act? Or are these arrests targeting a purely political opposition? If it is the latter, and clearly seen as a threat to the integrity of the Kemalist state, might that not inspire a coup d'etat where none exists now?

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