The plot was undersigned by Col. Dursun Çiçek and created a huge public outcry, with most analysts terming it yet another attempt by the military to actively interfere in politics. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), however, denied involvement in the plot and said it was a “piece of paper” aimed at undermining the credibility of the armed forces. Now that the original copy of the document has been found, all eyes are on the General Staff to take the necessary action.Star’s Ergun Babahan thinks that the original copy of the military plot is a slap in the faces of the soldier-columnists who find allegations about the military’s coup plans nonsense because the armed bureaucracy preparing such a plot against a political party, which came to power on its own, is an obvious coup attempt. In Babahan’s view, Parliament needs to take the necessary action against those who prepared this plan because he thinks this is a debt of honor for democracy, the public will and the state of law. “It is the right of everyone to expect each and every member of Parliament to stand up for the honor of Parliament and the will of the nation,” he suggests. The fact that the controversial plot has turned out to be authentic, says Babahan, is a test not only for the General Staff but also for the civilian politics. “Democracy should have the power to strengthen itself, and it is the democratic politicians who will make this happen,” notes Babahan.
Bugün’s Gülay Göktürk finds the preparation of such a plot against the government and its turning out to be authentic so horrifying that she thinks neither the public nor the General Staff can continue on their way as if no such document had been exposed. Without settling accounts with those who prepared such a plot, a positive relationship between the public and the military, based on confidence, cannot be established. In her view, there is only one way to restore relations between the public and the General Staff, and that is by the General Staff doing something which it has not done so far: behaving honestly and transparently and taking the necessary action without trying to cover up and twist things or treat the public as if they are fools. “The General Staff needs to begin with a sincere self-criticism and make us believe that it has learned the necessary lesson from what has happened. What do you say? Am I dreaming?” asks Göktürk.
