Turkish court files charges against suspected Ergenekon activists; warplanes attack PKK in northern Iraq

28/09/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- A court in Istanbul filed charges on Saturday (September 27th) against six people in relation to their alleged links with the nationalist organisation Ergenekon. Police transferred renowned journalist Tuncay Ozkan, an ardent opponent of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), to a prison in Istanbul, along with five other suspects. Authorities arrested all six on Tuesday. They allegedly belonged to the Ergenekon organisation, which the government accuses of plotting a coup d'etat.

In other news, the military confirmed on Friday (September 26th) that Turkish warplanes hit suspected targets of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on Thursday. PKK members said the bombing lasted almost two hours. One person was injured and a house destroyed. (Hurriyet, Milliyet, Cumhuriyet - 28/09/08; Anadolu news agency - 27/09/08, Turkish Daily News - 27/09/08; Reuters - 26/09/08)