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Voices stronger against coup plotters within military
Veteran diplomat and politician İnal Batu expressed his belief that there is a would-be junta within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the plot has come as a strong verification of its existence. “This plot shows that Turkish democracy is under [military] tutelage. This plot is also the tip of an iceberg. I believe there are hundreds of similar plots. … The path to emancipation from such plots goes through the support of civil society organizations and political parties,” Batu stated.
The plot revealed that the TSK had a systematic plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the faith-based Gülen movement in the eyes of the public, to play down the Ergenekon investigation and to gather support for members of the military arrested as part of the inquest into Ergenekon. Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
Sacit Kayasu, a former prosecutor, said the plot was aimed at toppling the AK Party government. “The plot describes a plan to foment hatred and enmity and spark chaos throughout the society. … It will finally be up to the civilian judiciary to investigate this plan. The charges of plotting a coup and sparking chaos are not charges to be investigated by the military judiciary. The military judiciary should only investigate disciplinary cases within the military,” Kayasu remarked.
Another former prosecutor, Sami Gören, who was discharged in 1993 for reportedly observing the Muslim fast during Ramadan, criticized the armed forces for planning to destroy the state as its primary duty is to protect the state.
“Some circles are talking about not hurting the pride and dignity of the TSK. But if there are people who make mistakes within the TSK, then they should be revealed. Such a move would boost the image of the armed forces. There is currently an attempt to cover up the [plot] issue. The TSK should give up its protective attitude. Though it is members of the military who prepared this plot, it is not a military crime. Thus, the civilian judiciary should investigate the plot. Everyone in Turkey, including politicians, opposition parties and intellectuals, should stand up for the rule of law,” Gören added.
Retired Lt. Col. Tevfik Diker said the military officer who mailed the original copy of the military plot to İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin is a “hero.”
“If I had a chance, I would like to ask this officer whether he tried to contact [Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker] Başbuğ to inform him about the existence of such a plot. I would ask him if Başbuğ refused such a contact or if the officer himself did not trust the military chief enough to inform him about the plot,” Diker noted.
MHP's Bahçeli lambastes action plan in harsh statement
The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, released a statement yesterday in which he harshly criticized members of the military for plotting to interfere in the political realm and called on judicial bodies to take necessary action against the anti-democratic plan.
“The alternative of politics should be politics. Everyone should tolerate the decisions of justice. Those responsible for the plot should be called to account, no matter what their ranks are. All the truth should be revealed immediately,” read his statement.
The MHP leader also said his party was ready to give full support to efforts to get rid the country of anti-democratic initiatives.
Gazi University professor Vedat Bilgin, who is also an advisor to Bahçeli, said an investigation into the military plot could be a good opportunity to get rid of Turkey's militarist mindset, which was established after the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup.
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