Thursday, July 5, 2007

ANKARA - Police arrested 12 members of the Patriotic Forces Unity of Power Movement on charges of setting up a criminal gang and forgery, reported the Anatolia news agency on Tuesday.

Taner Ünal, the leader of the movement, and other members were taken to the forensic medical lab for a health check following their arrest, stated the Anatolia news agency. The detainees were charged with committing a crime, being members of a criminal gang, looting, financing a criminal gang, smuggling historical artifacts and weakening the independence and unity of the state.

Ünal denied the charges, saying he was not engaged in any illegal activity.

The movement is a civil organization, which has nationalist tendencies. It has an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 affiliates all around Turkey. Ünal's business card was found in a car belonging to Alparslan Arslan, who launched an assault against the Council of State, Turkey's top court, last year.