This meeting, according to many, was held due to the military’s “uneasiness” regarding the latest wave of detentions of nearly 50 retired and active duty military officers earlier this week as part of an investigation into the Sledgehammer coup plot, allegedly devised by the military to overthrow the government, and aimed to ease the tense political environment in the country through dialogue between top officials.“This trilateral meeting is itself a message,” says Zaman’s Mustafa Ünal about the Gül-Erdoğan-Başbuğ meeting. He says it is not difficult to guess that most of the discussions were between Başbuğ and Erdoğan as Başbuğ may have voiced his disturbance to Erdoğan over the way the former and active duty members of the military were detained earlier this week. Another issue that must have been discussed at the meeting, according to Ünal, is the password scandal that emerged earlier this week.
The Taraf daily revealed the plans for soldiers standing guard in Balıkesir last Monday night to be made to call out a phrase insulting the prime minister as part of their duties. Ünal says Erdoğan must have brought the issue to the meeting’s agenda and voiced his feelings bluntly.
“The government has no involvement in the judicial process [regarding coup plotters]. It is out of the question for it to intervene in the process either at the beginning of the operations or during the trial process. So, it is meaningless for others to see the government on one side of the tension,” says Ünal.
He thinks the trilateral meeting at Çankaya has eased the tension in Ankara as Başbuğ left the presidential palace looking relieved, although he had entered appearing to be anxious, and Erdoğan said the meeting was a positive one.
Describing the aim of the meeting at Çankaya as easing tensions in the country, Star’s Nasuhi Güngör thinks Turkey will witness similar summits with the participation of various people in the coming days. At the same time, he says, the sensitive judicial process on coup plots will continue. “Turkey will confront coup plotters and coup attempts. If we can do this, important state institutions in Ankara, mainly the military and the judiciary, will rid themselves of heavy bureaucratic pressure and begin to do their real jobs,” he explains.
Regarding a statement released after the meeting which said: “The issues which have been discussed recently were handled at the meeting. Our citizens should be sure that these issues will be resolved within the framework of constitutional order and the law. It has also been underlined that everybody should act responsibly in this process so as not to wear down state institutions,” Yeni Şafak’s Ali Bayramoğlu says these sentences mean the military will act in line with the constitutional order but at the same time efforts will be made not to wear down the military. Bayramoğlu thinks if the president, the prime minister and the chief of General Staff can gather together for such a meeting when the country is going through turbulent times, this means that everything is under control.
