Turkey's army to stay out of graft prosecution

The leadership of Turkey's military vowed this week to stay out of the political arena amid a growing corruption scandal. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said in a written statement Friday the military would remain on the sidelines during the prosecution of a group of current and former army personnel in a corruption case that some government officials suspect could inspire a military coup. The TSK said it will allow the case to run its course without interference. "The (TSK), carefully detaching itself from any political opinions and formations, serves the Turkish nation with the utmost loyalty," the statement said. "The TSK bases the exercise of its duties on the commitment to the superiority of law and democratic principles." The statement said TSK will "carefully follow" the corruption case while avoiding controversy, Today's Zaman reported Saturday.