The Turkish ex-deputy chief of army, chief of navy and retired air force chief were among those accused of a plot to overthrow the Islamist government.

The once very powerful military of Turkey is facing it’s biggest challenge in recent decades after 49 senior officers, most retired, were taken into to different stations for questioning all accused of trying to topple the country’s Islamist government in a coup.

Amongst the detained are former deputy chief of the army, a retired air force chief, the chief of the navy and several generals and admirals including 17 retired generals, four serving admirals and 27 lower-ranking officers.

The arrests caused the prompted the army chief of staff, General Ilker Basbug, to call off a trip to Egypt.

The latests of attacks to the Turkish military by the AKP is their boldest move yet, after conspiracies involving the Turkish military.

There are already several high ranked officers being tried after on accusations of belonging to a hidden military movement which is known as Ergenekon.

Journalists, academics, lawyers and politicians are also accused of being part of Ergenekon, which the government has depicted as a cabal of secular elitists determined to maintain their privileges.

But critics will depict the detentions as part of a witch-hunt by the AKP aimed at politicising the judiciary, undermining the military and weakening the secular constitution handed down by Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.
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