Former Air Force Commander Gen. Akın Öztürk has been described as the ringleader of the foiled coup.
Öztürk also served in the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv from 1998 to 2000. He was military attache in Israel. The 64-year-old military figure stepped down as air force commander last year, but continued to serve on Turkey’s Supreme Military Council.
He was honored by medals from his own air force as well as from NATO.
Second detained high-ranked general is the commander of the Second Army, General Adem Huduti.
He was Commander of the Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces in rank of Lieutenant General in 2010-2012. In August 2012 he take up a position in Ankara Army Wholesale Logistics Command.
The Second Army, based in Malatya, responsible for protection of Turkey’s borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran.
The Malatya Garrison Commander, Maj. Gen. Avni Angun, and the Third army commander, Erdal Öztürk were also detained.
They also were connected well with NATO.
Brig. Gen. Bekir Ercan, commander of İncirlik Air Base, also was arrested.
The point is that jets that attacked building in Ankara were supported by Turkish tanker aircrafts based at the İncirlik Air Base. This base is also being used by the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). About 1,500 U.S. service members staying there.
It is important to note that chief military assistant to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Col. Ali Yazıcı.
As part of the operations on alleged coup attempters, police teams entered the Air Force Academy in the Yeşilköy neighborhood in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district on July 18, detaining four soldiers, including a colonel.
According to Turkish sources, 25 generals and officers held a secret meeting at the campus and removed surveillance cameras and computer hard disks afterwards.
Turkish officials told that coup was released in July due to an upcoming meeting of the Supreme Military Council, which convenes every August to consider military appointments and retirements.
After the coup 7543 people had been detained, including 100 police officers, 6,038 soldiers, 755 judges and prosecutors, and 650 civilians. Of these, 316 have been arrested.
