Turkish businessman among four arrested in coup probe

Ankara: Four out of 21prominent Turks detained under a police investigation into coup allegations have been formally arrested, including a leading businessman, Turkish media reported on Saturday.

The chairman of Ankara's Chamber of Commerce Sinan Aygun was among the four, the state-run Anatolian news agency said.

Aygun is a vocal critic of the ruling AK Party government.

Five others, including the chief editor of a newspaper, were released on Friday but barred from leaving the country while the case continued, Anatolian said.

There was no official word on Saturday on the rest, who include two retired senior generals, journalists and politicians.

Turkish media said those detained were suspected of being members of a shadowy, ultra-nationalist, hardline secularist group known as Ergenekon, which was already under investigation.

A secret plan, including launching illegal protests on July 7 across 40 provinces, assassinations and clashes with security forces, was seized during Tuesday's raid, media said.