Turkey's top brass resign in protest at coup probe

TURKEY's senior military leadership stepped down last night, as tensions increased over the arrest of dozens of officers accused of plotting a coup.

The resignations of top general Isik Kosaner along with navy, army and air force commanders, came hours after a court charged 22 suspects, including generals and officers, with an internet campaign to undermine the government. The commanders asked to be retired, the state Anatolia news agency said.

The resignations signals a rift with the government, which has been confident in confronting a military that once held sway over Turkish political life.

Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met General Necdet Ozel, the commander of the gendarme forces - the highest-ranking commander who remained in office. Gen Ozel is widely expected to become the next head of the military.

Transport minister Binali Yildirim said "the state would continue to function".

Gen Kosaner had met Mr Erdogan and president Abdullah Gul yesterday to discuss appointments ahead of next week's high military council meeting.

Seventeen generals and admirals have been jailed along with nearly 200 officers on charges of plotting to overthrow the government in 2003 in the so-called "Sledgehammer" case.

More than 400 people - including academics, journalists, politicians and soldiers - are also on trial on separate charges of plotting a secular nationalist coup. Ankara denies both cases are politically motivated.