Failing to launch an investigation into the plan that included preparations to bomb heavily frequented mosques in İstanbul and to have a Turkish jet crash after a skirmish with Greece, the General Staff settled for saying that the plot was actually a “scenario against external threats.” Analysts think the silence of the General Staff makes the skepticism surrounding the plot deepen as they call on Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ to be actively involved in the developments and to stop covering up the wrongdoings of military members.Sabah’s Nazlı Ilıcak calls on the General Staff to be more transparent and answer questions regarding the plot, which it described as a “scenario against external threats.” “What does the formation of a new government to replace the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] government mean, as well as the removal of some bureaucrats from their posts, the isolation of 200,000 ‘dangerous people’ and the arrest of some journalists? Even if we put aside provocative actions in the plot such as the bombing of mosques and having Turkish jets crash, it is our right to expect answers to our questions. Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ is constantly trying to cover up the shortcomings of the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK]. Some transparency, please,” says Ilıcak.
Discussing also what could be done in the wake of the discovery of this plan, she suggests that a parliamentary investigation committee, which will have members from all the parties in Parliament, be established as soon as possible. “In this way, dialogue will be established among parties, and a consensus will be easily reached. It is not possible for the judiciary to deal with this plot on its own. If Parliament intervenes in the developments, it can make some proposals and ensure that democratic steps are taken more speedily.”
Vatan’s Okay Gönensin says confusion among the public is growing as more documents detailing the TSK’s coup plans are revealed and that the TSK continues to remain on the defensive. In order to overcome the current turmoil in the country as a result of the “Sledgehammer” plot, he suggests that the General Staff announce that it is involved in the investigation as the “first relevant party” and that it should do this so the guilty are exposed and not protected by the TSK. In this way, he says innocent people will no longer remain under suspicion, but the guilty ones will be punished. “When the General Staff shows that it is determined to reveal to the citizens of the country, for whom it feels a responsibility, those who made such plans, Turkey will have reached a period when military coups become history,” says Gönensin.
