By SELCAN HACAOGLU
Associated Press Writer
ANKARA, Turkey – Once they were untouchable. Some were members of Turkey’s elite military class known as “pashas,” a title of respect harking back to Ottoman times. For decades, Turkey’s senior officers, self-appointed guardians of the country’s secular tradition, called the shots.
But Monday, the balance of power in this EU candidate appeared to have undergone a major shift. Turkish police detained 52 military commanders for allegedly planning to blow up mosques in order to trigger a military takeover and overthrow the Islamic-oriented government.
The detentions showed that the elected government is trying to take the upper hand against the military, which has ousted four governments since 1960 and held influence since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created the secular republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.