People began wondering whether pro-coup military officers -- who had created a strong reaction with their unlawful attitudes and inflicted serious damage on the military’s prestige with their recklessness -- would comply with the court’s decision. If they are to abide by the law, they should start surrendering to law enforcement authorities on Monday. Except for retired Gen. Çetin Doğan, who was stopped at a police checkpoint, none of the suspects did so, and this is really thought provoking.Given the excuses voiced by Gen. Metin Gürak, the General Staff’s spokesperson, during a press conference held Friday concerning the lack of punishment of military officers who are charged with involvement in the Heron scandal as well as his words defending the promotion of these officers, we can easily conclude that the General Staff’s tendency concerning these pro-Sledgehammer military officers who assume critical positions and who command tens of thousands of military personnel is to keep them in their posts or even promote them. In other words, disregard for the law is not restricted to the military officers charged with involvement in the Sledgehammer coup plan. The General Staff itself does not have a good report card in this respect, either.
Moreover, this is not the first incident involving the General Staff. Col. Cemal Temizöz, charged with more than 20 unsolved murders, had continued to work as the commander of the Kayseri garrison all the time he was kept in prison. Similarly, Col. Dursun Çiçek, who undersigned the anti-reactionary action plan and who is being prosecuted in several investigations and trials, is still being kept on active duty. Many more military officers who were charged with offenses that amount to treason and for whom arrest warrants have been issued still remain in their critical posts thanks to the protection afforded them by the General Staff in defiance of the law. For instance, we all know about the personal support lent by Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ to 3rd Army Commander Gen. Saldıray Berk, who was charged with being the leader of a terrorist organization in the Erzincan investigation, the indictment of whom was accepted by the court. Despite the high judiciary’s efforts to save Berk, litigation is under way. But Gen. Berk can still continue to command tens of thousands of armed soldiers in Turkey’s most critical region.
It is now crystal clear that Gen. Başbuğ’s assertion that “the military is fully respectful of the rule of law and democracy,” which he made at the start of his assignment, is a big lie. Also, his statement that those who do not respect democracy and the rule of law “will not be allowed to stay” in the military, which he said with added emphasis, it seems, is nothing but a mere theatrical gesture. Indeed, unfortunately, military officers who defy the law, and in particular the chief of General Staff and those who are charged with planning a coup and engaging in junta activities, abound in our military. Not only did Gen. Başbuğ’s assertion of purging pro-coup military officers prove to be false, but one is also inclined to ask whether involvement in junta activities, planning coups and having traitorous relations are regarded as good and favorable qualities of military officers, given the fact that such generals and military officers, suspected by courts of law, are afforded extensive protection and promoted to higher ranks.
It is hardly understandable for the military’s commanding generals who claim attachment to the rule of law and democracy to advertise solidarity with the suspects and defendants of the Ergenekon terrorist organization, the Sledgehammer coup plan, the Cage (Kafes) action plan and various coup attempts. I think this is what the chief of General Staff, who tried everything to exert pressure on the judiciary, understands of respect for the rule of law and democracy.
And it is not a good sign that Chief of General Staff Gen. Başbuğ immediately acts whenever judicial organs take any step concerning soldiers charged with coup and junta offenses. We have learned from the papers that he did the same after the court decided to arrest 102 military officers on Friday. According to news reports, Gen. Başbuğ took his efforts one step further by visiting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at 11 p.m. on Sunday. During the meeting, which lasted for several hours, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, who was in Hatay, was summoned hurriedly to Ankara.
Although no information could be obtained as to the details discussed during the meeting, it is not hard to guess what prompted Başbuğ to pay a late night visit to the prime minister. I hope neither the prime minister nor the justice minister will sponsor this scandalous attempt to totally weaken the already frayed judicial independence. Neither the prime minister nor the justice minister will ever be able to get rid of the responsibility if they act in line with Gen. Başbuğ’s attempts to manipulate the law, as his predecessors had done in the past -- Şemdinli being a case in point.
Let the law take its due course. Let offenders be punished, even if they are generals.
