General Staff adopts defensive language against plot row

“An investigation into a document claimed to be an action plan to fight reactionaryism and bear a genuine signature is continuing. We requested the original of the document three times from the İstanbul Public Prosecutor's Office. A photocopied version of it was sent to us upon our first request, but the two other requests remain unanswered,” said Brig. Gen. Hıfzı Çubuklu, the legal advisor for the General Staff, speaking at the General Staff's weekly briefing. Çubuklu said the Military Prosecutor's Office is entitled to request any information or document it may need as part of a probe it conducts, as is any civilian prosecutor's office. The general was referring to an ongoing military investigation into a military plot, called the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism, prepared by a colonel on active duty to undermine the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the faith-based Gülen movement.

“We watch with deep sorrow how universal legal principles are being violated over individuals who have been declared guilty though there is currently no court decision at hand pointing to their guilt,” Çubuklu noted.

Asked whether Col. Dursun Çiçek, whose signature appears on the plot, has been summoned by the İstanbul Public Prosecutor's Office to testify as part of the plot investigation, Çubuklu responded: “He has not been summoned. We did not receive any such notice from the prosecutor's office. The TSK responds immediately to any question or call by legal bodies, prosecutor's offices and courts.”

The brigadier general also said the armed forces sent 9 members of the military for a civilian testimony last week.

Çubuklu also touched upon a number of Web sites established by the TSK to back its psychological warfare against civilian groups it termed “reactionary,” “separatist,” “pro-AK Party” and “anti-TSK.” The plan was exposed by an unnamed military officer earlier this week. According to the officer, the plan against Web sites was devised at the Third Information Support Unit of the General Staff by a number of colonels and was coordinated by Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Hasan Iğsız, according to the officer. Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ was also reportedly informed about the plan.

“The TSK has Web sites established to monitor reactionary and separatist factors of threat within the plans and directives of the Prime Ministry,” he said, and added that a normal “process” was reflected (by the media) to the public in a “different” language.

Independent deputy Ufuk Uras has announced that he will present a motion to Parliament for the establishment of a commission to investigate the notorious military plot.

According to Uras, such plots are more dangerous for humanity than swine flu or any other pandemic. “Such plots contaminate generations. I wish there were a vaccination to protect humanity against coup lovers,” he said. The deputy had presented a motion in the past for the launch of an investigation into two failed coup attempts in Turkey.

“The real target of the action plan is Parliament. Parliament should show its reaction against attempts targeting democracy and civilian politics,” Uras noted. He also called on the AK Party to take action against anti-democratic attempts within the armed forces. In the meantime, a voice recording released on a number of Web sites yesterday revealed that a search at Çiçek’s house after the action plan made its way to the media was neglected by a military judge.

The voice, which allegedly belongs to Capt. İ. Volkan Şahin, confesses to have spent more than six hours in Çiçek’s house, but did not search anything. “I conducted the search. It was 11 a.m. when I started and was 5.20 p.m. when I completed it. One of our officers asked me why the search lasted so long. We ate and drank [in the house.] When it came to make an explanation [on the search,] we said it lasted 6.5 hours,” says the voice.