Erzurum 2nd Criminal Court arrested Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor Ilhan Cihaner under charges of being a member of the Ergenekon terrorist network, misconduct, slander and intimidation.

Cihaner was taken into custody by Erzincan Special Prosecutor Osman Yanal Tuesday after a raid into his office and residence.

Following a seven hour interrogation, Sanal asked to Erzurum 2nd Criminal Court to arrest Cihaner.

Cihaner's lawyer Hamit Sekman said he would appeal the court warrant for his client's arrest on Thursday.

Militant secularists were embedded in the judiciary.

Separately, two navy admirals testified as suspects on Tuesday in connection to another plot to undermine the AK Party, Turkish media said.

The alleged criminal network that came to be known as "Ergenekon" was revealed after police seized 27 grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a shanty house in Istanbul on June 12, 2007 and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into weapons.

Police waged several waves of operations in several provinces and detained dozens of people, including retired senior army officers, journalists, scholars and businessmen, for their alleged involvement in the network.

The 12th High Criminal Court which is hearing the case accepted three indictments with thousands of pages so far.

The culprits are charged with various crimes including attempting to overthrow the Turkish government with arms and acts of violence.


Agencies