As the military commander overseeing the activities of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) during the period between 1994 and 1998, he is an interesting person. With respect to the first recording, he said: "This is not my voice. Do you actually believe this nonsense?" However, in his response to columnist Taha Akyol from the Milliyet daily, he did not say anything about whether the voice on the fourth recording was his. Current technology can identify the origin of a voice recorded on tape. Because it has become obvious that Karadayı suffers from amnesia -- I would not say he is lying -- we need to approach what he says cautiously. Speaking about Ergenekon suspect retired Gen. Veli Küçük, Karadayı said, "I do not know this guy named Veli Küçük." In response, Küçük sent a letter to his daughter wherein he recalled that he had served in the military for a long time under Karadayı's command before his retirement in 2000. He further said he preferred to view Karadayı's remarks as a slip of the tongue, adding that he is not some ordinary guy.
Imagine a chief of general staff who argues that he does not know a military officer who served in various positions in the military during his term in office; besides, it should also be noted that this military officer made quite a reputation for himself after the Susurluk scandal. And he refers to this officer as "some guy." Wouldn't you be surprised?
In sum, in the fourth tape, Karadayı admits that he was the mastermind behind the Feb. 28, 2007 process, that he told then-President Süleyman Demirel that then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan must leave office and that Erbakan stepped down when he was told to do so. He further says that he met with Mesut Yılmaz in Bodrum after Feb. 28, adding: "I told Yılmaz that we were offering him control of this country on a silver platter. Then I also listed some other things. He listened with a disturbing smile on his face."
In a recent letter to Akyol, Karadayı argues: "I never gave orders to anyone asking them to fire columnists. Perhaps you may believe what an old man who served the state for 50 years says. … It is absolutely untrue that I told Necmettin Erbakan to leave office. At the time when the coalition government was formed, I was in Brussels; journalists asked me whether the military interferes with political affairs in Turkey; I told them that the military would never become involved in politics and added that political parties may form a coalition government whenever they want." Again, I have to attribute the inconsistencies to his amnesia. He argues that military intervention in political affairs was out of the question. I have to ask him about how the coups could be viewed and who executed former Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. I would also like to ask him about Feb. 28 and who posted the e-memo on the General Staff's Web site before the most recent presidential election.
We are now dealing with two different Karadayıs.
However, Akyol wrote that Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Çevik Bir invited media bosses Aydın Doğan and Dinç Bilgin over during the Feb. 28 process and he instructed them on how the papers should conduct themselves in their publications and on the columnists who should be fired.
Is Karadayı, who argues he does not know Küçük, implying that Bir did all these things? A chief of general staff unaware of meetings between his deputy and media bosses should be unaware of everything else as well. But the tone in the recording tells a different story. Are we dealing with a former chief of general staff who forgets what he did and the people with whom he worked when he has troubles?
Erbakan, Tansu Çiller and Yılmaz should speak so that the whole matter is clarified. If they were afraid because of the prevailing circumstances during Feb. 28, they should speak out now. For the sake of the future of this country, future generations, democracy and the rule of law in this country, they should disclose the truth and give details about what happened during this dark chapter of Turkey's recent past.
