Last June, the Taraf daily published a copy of a four-page document titled the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism, which bore the signature of Col. Dursun Çiçek. The document details plots allegedly devised by the military to frame innocent people linked to the Gülen movement and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) through methods such as planting arms and ammunition in their homes. Several laboratories, including the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK), have confirmed that the signature on the document indeed belongs to Col. Çiçek. An investigation by the General Staff has also confirmed that the document and the signature are authentic.
CHP leader Deniz Baykal, who has traditionally defended the military and civilian suspects detained or jailed in investigations into military coup attempts, said at his party’s parliamentary group meeting yesterday that there were certain developments after a recent meeting between the president, prime minister and chief of General Staff at the Çankaya presidential palace. He pointed out that two ex-force commanders -- Gen. İbrahim Fırtına and Gen. Özden Örnek -- who were detained in an investigation into the Sledgehammer plan, another alleged military coup, were released by the court, the General Staff announced that the Çiçek reactionaryism document was indeed authentic and the Military Prosecutor’s Office demanded an arrest warrant for Çiçek, which the military courts refused to grant.
He said the accusations leveled against Çiçek were very serious. “If such a document has indeed been prepared at the General Staff, this should be acknowledged. It should not happen through political bargaining between higher-ups agreeing on certain exchanges or deals. Whatever is necessary should be done. Fingerprints on the document and the age of the ink in the authenticated signature should be examined. If indeed that person has prepared the document, this is something else and we can’t simply ignore it.” He said the document couldn’t possibly have been prepared without the knowledge of Çiçek’s superiors. “Not only Çiçek, but those who gave him the opportunity to prepare this document, his collaborators and those who turned a blind eye to this collaboration should be ferreted out. The truth should be investigated.”
