ANKARA: A Turkish court on Tuesday ordered the detention of six former generals accused of involvement in a military coup in 1997, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The detentions are part of a probe into the bloodless coup that toppled the country's government at the time and comes amid a growing standoff between the powerful military and the current rulers.

Among those held is Ilhan Kilic, former secretary general of the National Security Council, a joint military and civilian body that has played a key role in defining Turkish politics over the past few years.

Dozens of active duty and retired officers, including several other generals, have already been charged and jailed in the probe.

The officers are accused of pressuring former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan to resign over his alleged attempts to raise the profile of Islam in this predominantly Muslim but secular country.