Both the United States and the European Union have condemned the coup, which took place in a third-world country. Considering how many coups in the past had been staged with the support of these countries, we can conclude that difficult days are ahead for coup leaders now that these countries no longer support it. I believe there are two lessons that coup leaders have learned from the recent coup in Honduras. The first is that the US and EU countries are no longer behind such coups and, second, that citizens who have been treated unfairly have the courage to head into the streets with baseball bats in their hands.While still considering the possibility that coup leaders may risk everything and still attempt to overthrow the government, a coup in the classic sense is no longer possible in Turkey. Turkey has spent the last 50 years talking about coups. It has managed to include countless coups and memorandums into these 50 years. As we approach 2010, we are still talking about coups. Coup leaders have escaped prosecution because the Constitution was shelved each time. Those who meddled in political affairs and tried to influence it were never punished. But the rapidly changing world and the increasing public pressure make it impossible for coups to be staged. Those who are aware of this are resorting to postmodern methods. They are trying to proceed with their plans without exceeding the boundaries of the law.
With this method, if the targets are not committing crimes, then they are portrayed as though they are and then summoned to stand trial. At least those who prepared the controversial action plan know that it is a genuine document. When we read the document, we see that most of it is composed of practices we have been subjected to for several years.
For years didn't the media throw mud at the majority of the public with false news? Didn't they abruptly start reactionary campaigns? Weren't democratic figures suppressed by the media? The Milliyet daily ran an interesting headline last week. According to the news piece, an assassination plan using an uzi against former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök, who prevented many coup attempts during his tenure, was discovered.
But the news was immediately denied by all related parties. First of all, the police did not search the site mentioned in the news but another site. Second, it wasn't an uzi but an old shotgun. Moreover, Gen. Özkök made a statement that contradicted the news. “Unregistered weapons were discovered at the home of the contractor during the operation. But the police did not warn or inform me about any concerns of an assassination plan. I don't believe nor consider such claims to be true,” Özkök had said.
This situation was nothing more than an effort to threaten a democratic chief of general staff via the media. I suspect past action plans -- like the one prepared by Col. Dursun Çiçek -- were planned and then sent to the relevant people. Certain atmospheres were created in Turkey. The media took the responsibility for preparing the public and putting pressure on democrats. But unlike the past, the public is learning about these kinds of actions very quickly. Moreover, the public isn't running away every time it sees a man in military uniform. Some people are also aware of subliminal media threats.
Turkey took a very big step toward democracy by approving a law that prevents civilians from being tried in military courts and that allows coup leaders to be called to account. This is a critical development because the state must protect its citizens from coups. Or are we going to have to stand guard with baseball bats in our hands?
