“We witnessed important developments recently. The military judiciary should take the forensic report as a basis. The genuine signature [on the plot] will unlock the key,” he said. Erdoğan's remarks came during a live broadcast on Sunday on TRT 1. He was referring to a report prepared last month by the İstanbul Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) in the wake of an examination of the original version of the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism. The report indicated that a genuine signature on the plan belongs to Col. Dursun Çiçek.
The prime minister vowed to take the necessary action to shed light on the plot controversy. “As the executive power, we have to do what falls on our shoulders. We have done so thus far. I am making it clear. We will continue to do so. We will not give up,” he said. Asked why he does not remove from office military officers who are suspected of having links to the notorious action plan, Erdoğan said he frequently receives such calls. “An academic voiced such a concern yesterday during a conference. Such calls put us in a difficult position,” he noted. Erdoğan was referring to a call by academic Bekir Berat Özipek, who said former President Turgut Özal would relieve top commanders of duty if such a plot were prepared during his term in office.
Erdoğan also expressed his confidence that Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ would take necessary measures against the plot. He recalled that the army chief pledged not to harbor any individual who is engaged in anti-democratic activities within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
“We have no [confidence] problem. No weekly meetings were held between prime ministers and chiefs of general staff before us. We started such meetings,” he noted, adding that it was hard for politicians to make comments on an issue that is currently being handled in a judicial process.
