ASDER was established by a group of members of the military who were dismissed from the military or forced to retire. Tarhan was dismissed from the military in 1997, where he worked as a psychiatrist, for being an observant Muslim.
During a speech he delivered at the fifth annual meeting of the association, Tarhan commented on the Cage Operation Action Plan, devised by some members of the Naval Forces Command to intimidate the country’s non-Muslim population by assassinating some of their prominent figures. The plan aimed to discredit the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) by blaming it for the assassinations.
“Pro-coup members of the TSK continue their asymmetric warfare [against the government]. These members continue working with the excitement of the Sept. 12 [1980 coup]. Our fight against this group will continue,” remarked the professor.
Tarhan also said the alleged suicide of Ali Belgütay Varımlı, a retired colonel, was suspicious. Varımlı reportedly committed suicide last week by jumping off the balcony of his apartment in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district.
“Varımlı was not a person to commit suicide. He may have been killed because he informed former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök about the Sarıkız [Blonde Girl] and Ayışığı [Moonlight] coup plans [of 2004],” Tarhan added.
