In this recording, Başbuğ says he was the one who gave permission for civilian prosecutors to search the facilities of the Tactical Mobilization Unit in Ankara as part of the investigation into an alleged plot by military officers to assassinate Arınç. “Can they search if you don’t let them? … What are they going to do if you tell them they can’t enter there, can they? That’s not going to happen. That can’t happen; they couldn’t have entered.” The challenging and controversial remarks of the army chief made him a target of criticism once again, with increasing calls for his dismissal.Star’s Eser Karakaş finds Başbuğ’s statements in the voice recording very problematic, particularly the part in which he says civilian prosecutors would not be able to search the Tactical Mobilization Unit in Ankara if Başbuğ had not granted them permission. “This search would be carried out on a court decision, and Article 138 of the Constitution suggests that court rulings are binding for the entire state, legislative, executive and administrative organs and the implementation of court decisions cannot be delayed. As far as I know, the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] is a part of the executive and administrative body. And the chief of general staff, in this voice recording, says, ‘If I had not allowed them, they would not be able to enter there’.” In the wake of Başbuğ’s remarks, Karakaş thinks a senior civil servant who makes such a statement, which conflicts with the basic principles of the Constitution, should be immediately removed from his post and this is the duty of the executive body.
Karakaş says the implementation of a court ruling cannot be subject to someone’s permission and those who do not know this are either unaware of the Article 138 or they are ignorant.
Another Star columnist, Şamil Tayyar, says the most important leaks in the recent past have been the “Sledgehammer Security Operation Plan,” which included subversive plans to trigger chaos in the country, such as the bombing of popular mosques in İstanbul, and Başbuğ’s voice recording. Tayyar finds it striking that both were leaked at a time when military-civilian relations had begun to normalize and the ice between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Başbuğ had begun to melt. He says the Ergenekon terror organization, a shadowy crime network that has alleged links within the state and is suspected of plotting to topple the government, is always disturbed by improving relations between Erdoğan and Başbuğ.
From Başbuğ’s statements in the voice recording, Bugün’s Adem Yavuz Arslan infers that Başbuğ does not believe in the authenticity of the uncovered coup plans and thinks they aim to tarnish the image of the TSK. “This issue [Başbuğ’s voice recording] is not something that can be ignored. It is crucial for the General Staff to cast a light on it,” he suggests.
