Accusations About General May Expand Rift in Turkey
A rift between Turkey’s Islamic-leaning government and the secular military showed signs of growing this week when a civilian prosecutor suggested that a prominent general was behind covert illegal operations in the Kurdish southeastern region. The prosecutor, Ferhat Sarikaya, did not bring charges against the general, Yasar Buyukanit, because his court lacked jurisdiction. But his statements went to the heart of many accusations that the politically powerful military had helped foment a 20-year conflict with Kurdish separatists in southeastern Turkey. More than 30,000 people have died in that fighting. Full Story