Turkey to appoint new armed forces chiefs

Turkey's Supreme Military Council will begin appointing new armed forces commanders Monday, days after the shock mass resignation of Turkish military chiefs.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) chairs the annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) as he is flanked by Ground Forces Commander and acting Chief of Staff General Necdet Ozel in Ankara 1 August 2011. Reuters/Stringer

The four day annual military meeting, which reviews the promotion prospects of senior officers, opened under the direction of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but in the absence of former army chief Isik Kosaner who resigned on Friday.

Kosaner, as well as the heads of Turkey's land, sea and air forces all stepped down over the detention of army officials over an alleged 2003 coup plot.

About a 10th of the army's officers have been detained over the plot that government officials say was drawn up shortly after the party took power in 2002.

Tensions between Turkey's fiercely secularist military and the government led by the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been building for years.

The suspects face up to 20 years in jail, though the case has been marred by serious doubts over the authenticity of some implicating documents.

Kosaner had several recent meetings with Erdogan to lobby on behalf of the generals, insisting that they still benefit from promotions despite the pending charges.

After the mass resignations on Friday, Erdogan named as acting army chief General Necdet Ozel, who was serving as the head of the military police.