Another Turkish general arrested over Ergenekon case

PanARMENIAN.Net - Retired Gen. Hurşit Tolon, a former commander of Turkey’s 1st Army Corps, was arrested on Tuesday, January 10, for a second time in the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon.

Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government. Tolon was arrested in 2008 as part of the investigation on charges of “being an administrator of an organization” but was later released pending trial in 2009 due to health reasons.

After Specially Authorized Istanbul Prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekgüzel requested the arrest of Tolon for second time during the 148th hearing of the second Ergenekon trial at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on Tuesday, the court ruled to arrest Tolon.

Tolon was cross-examined by Pekgüzel last week during the 145th hearing.

Tolon's arrest comes on the heels of the arrest of former Chief of General Staff retired Gen. İlker Başbuğ last week as part of an investigation into several websites allegedly set up by the General Staff to disseminate propaganda against the government, Today’s Zaman reported.