If they’re unsuccessful and were unable to create the exact environment necessary for coup-staging, then they’ll live out their retirements like pashas. This is what should happen here! These generals who were unsuccessful in their coup attempts are on the one hand having a content retirement and on the other hand fulfilling their duties -- whatever they may be -- as members of the executive boards of massive holding companies.The coup attempts of Şener Eruygur, Hurşit Tolon, Çetin Doğan, İbrahim Fırtına and Ergin Saygun were unsuccessful. That said, there’s only one thing to be done: retire and enter under the wing of the state’s protection. To be honest, our state tradition, which stretches back thousands of years, expresses this situation as such: “Ya devlet başa ya kuzgun leşe!” (literally, “Either the state or a raven’s carcass”; the meaning is “victory or death.”) But the validity of this understanding has been done away with in the last 40 years; it has transformed into “Either the state or retired life.” For this reason, some are finding it strange that prosecutors are following events, digging up illegal structures and uncovering the horrible realities hidden by them.
Perhaps it is also for this reason: After being arrested on charges of involvement in the Ergenekon terrorist organization and then released pending trial due to health reasons, retired Pasha Tolon saw no problem in posing for pictures standing right behind the chief of General Staff. Does Tolon, who has a weighty allegation pending against him, know what a legal scandal it is for the chief of General Staff to support him like this following a speech to military academy students? As if that wasn’t enough, we also saw Tolon at the reception following the speech by the chief of General Staff’s side.
In the same manner, 3rd Army Commander Saldıray Berk, who had a case opened against him on charges of Ergenekon membership, was taken into the vehicle of the chief of General Staff, who asked him about the validity of the charges. Berk said the allegations were not true. The chief of General Staff no doubt believed him entirely and defends the pasha at every opportunity. In another situation, despite the fact that the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK), the National Police Department, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) and the Gendarmerie General Command have all verified the authenticity of Dursun Çiçek’s signature on a controversial document, the chief of General Staff doesn’t believe any of these establishments, choosing to believe the defendant instead, despite a multitude of evidence, witness testimony and the indictment against him.
Turkey is experiencing the pangs of the democratization process. Those who control the state have no choice but to cast aside the illegal methods that they’ve developed over the years. Despite everything, democratic traditions and the supremacy of law are gaining influence. Truth be told, in this matter Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ has also made considerable contributions. But on the other hand, the general taking people on trial for misdeeds under his wing is tearing apart both his own reputation and that of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
There is a Turkish idiom that all those who wish to head the state through illegal means should recall: “Either the state or a raven’s carcass.” Today, the law taking people to account has replaced the raven’s carcass. The time will come when each coup attempt is taken to account. Each attempt that is left unquestioned paves the way for another. For this reason, Turkey has fallen victim to countless coup attempts.
If the TSK wants to retain its respectability, then the most important thing for Pasha İlker to do is to disallow those who have court cases open against them or are being tried for any crime to pose behind him in photographs, at least until they are acquitted. Instead of talking about them to the public, he should choose silence.
