As long as insidious plots such as the Cage Operation Action Plan continue to be devised in this country’s military, which is head over heels in crime and illegal acts, and as long as institutions that operate on the taxes we as ordinary citizens pay keep busying themselves with preparing conspiracies against the nation, I will continue to write, and you will continue to read, about these gloomy subjects. This fight will continue until every institution, whether bearing arms or not, is without any discrimination placed under democratic review and made accountable to the nation in this beautiful country, which already deserves a contemporary, full-fledged democracy, an open society, the rule of law measuring up to Western standards and the sound practice of secularism. We will continue to write about these tiresome issues until the arrival of those beautiful days. But today, with your consent, I would like to take the easy way out… I will not sacrifice yet another Sunday morning to these damned coup-seeking junta members and their supporters, or the ravenous villains who even plan on killing innocent children, or the contemptible traitors who aim to shatter the country into piece along social fault lines. Instead, I will quote Freedom Association (Özgür-Der) President Rıdvan Kaya’s statement about the matter, a statement with which I fully agree:
“In Turkey, a country which was originally established as a military republic, with periodic military coups to reassert this characteristic, efforts to dispense with this military tutelage have recently increased. In response, military groups, too, have stepped up their attempts to protect the status quo. Recent disclosures about several abortive coups, junta formations and bloody plots have clearly proven this point. The General Staff seems to be the center of all these concrete, clear and illegal attempts. There is a clearly visible attitude of covering up or whitewashing, instead of exposing and foiling, the already revealed junta activities.
“The same attitude is clearly visible with respect to the junta formation called the ‘Cage’ within the Naval Forces Command. A series of reports by the Taraf newspaper over several days have shown that this junta formation had plotted to conduct violent attacks against non-Muslims and their institutions in Turkey in order to put the government in a difficult situation among international circles and pave the way for an eventual military takeover. We see that this junta, consisting of three admirals -- one retired -- and many officers, had devised numerous violent plans, including ones to collectively kill children.
“The General Staff opts to remain silent over these illegalities, crimes and violent plans, though it should be held accountable for them. As it has always done in the past, it has tried to cover up a scandal that has sent shivers of horror through the society, in an impulse to protect itself and its members. Failing to suspend its members who are involved in junta activities or launch any action against them, and instead promoting some of them to more important positions, the General Staff is openly encouraging and protecting its members who are involved in illegal activities and the junta. With an intention to distract attention from its guilt, the General Staff also filed an official complaint against the Taraf newspaper, which published these plots.
“Worse than this is the position of the government and the prime minister against these plans. Although he is supposed to interrogate all those who are involved, especially the chief of General Staff, the prime minister has said, ‘The matter has been referred to the court, and we should refrain from poking our nose into it or leveling false accusations at our institutions.’ This discourse, which we have frequently heard from governments in the past, is a discourse of weakness and an attitude of burying one’s head in the sand. The prime minister and all politicians should know that this discourse will lead them to submit to coup supporters and their militarism. We condemn this attitude, one that tries to portray the junta and coup attempts as ordinary things, and we call on everyone to act according to their responsibilities.”
