Lately in Washington, we, a group of Turkish columnists, have had the chance to find out what the US policy has been on the ongoing military efforts to undermine the Turkish political process, while in Ankara, a Taraf daily report revealing yet another plan to destabilize the political system has dropped like a bomb on Turkey's capital. The “Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism” outlined the implementation of various smear campaigns to finish off the ruling party.
Unlike the previous, rather timid reaction of the Turkish political authority to earlier military-initiated destabilizing acts, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) this time has taken a more determined stance in saying “enough” to indirect military-led coup attempts. Turkey's Parliament, with an initiative taken by the ruling AK Party, passed legislation last Friday to ensure military personnel are tried in civilian courts during peacetime rather than in military courts.
Some Turkish jurists had been urging for the amended legislation to be passed for a long time for the sake of the success of Ergenekon investigation and trial, in which about 200 suspects, including some retired generals as well as active officers, are being tried on various charges such as attempting to trigger an armed action to unseat the elected government.
Turkish military courts' areas of responsibility have long been in question, as they have been dealing with crimes outside their jurisdiction. The new legislation, if approved by President Abdullah Gül and if, in the case of it being taken to the Constitutional Court by the opposition, it is not annulled, will mark a new page in Turkish history in limiting the military courts' area of responsibility to only military disciplinary issues. In reference to the new legislation, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday that if any military officers were planning a coup against his government, they would be rooted out and prosecuted.
On the part of the US officials whose previous administrations have been suspected of supporting former Turkish coups, such as that of Sept. 12, 1980, they appear this time not to welcome to any military-led attempts to intervene in the Turkish political process through direct or indirect coup attempts.
According to reliable US sources in Washington, the Turkish military has been told on various occasions that any intervention into Turkish politics will not be acceptable. One influential senior US think tank official recalled President Barack Obama's speech made at the Turkish Parliament in early April, during which he emphasized democracy and the rule of law. His emphasis on the supremacy of the rule of law in Turkey should be read as Washington's objections to any military interventions in this country, he asserts.
Other prominent US think tank officials, on the other hand, raised concerns over whether the principle of a fair trial had been applied in the Ergenekon trial due to prolonged detention periods. This is a concern for some Turks, too. Another think tank member said Ergenekon is perceived as a new set of abuses by the political authority of other people's rights and that the accusations were fabricated.
In addition to such views, a recently released US human rights report described the Ergenekon case as murky. It is therefore important that Turkish prosecutors should be more careful in handling the Ergenekon case with the aim of not playing into the hands of those who seek excuses to weaken the case, which, in reality, is an important opportunity for Turkey to settle its scores with the deep state.
US officials stress that the administration has been following the case closely and that they are not indifferent to the investigation.
“If the scale of accusations leveled against the Ergenekon suspects are proven in court, this organization will prove to be extraordinarily dangerous and that will show the potential of these people [the suspects] for inflicting harm on the Turkish democratic progress. We in the US absolutely oppose military coups or attempts to alter the Constitution. We made this clear to Turkey,” said a US official.
Authoritative US sources, however, also advise the government to refocus on democratic reforms as a means of thwarting the dangers that certain elements within the Turkish state pose. Both the US and the EU's opposition to any efforts in Turkey to undermine the political system, which their officials say carry potential political risks and instability, will have a great deal to contribute in discouraging those elements in Turkey who want to undermine the democratic process.
But more importantly, the government's continuation of its resolve, as has lately been displayed by passing legislation against the coup plotters, has also been one of the criteria of the EU -- that military personnel are tried in civilian courts -- and will play a significant role in deterring those continuously seeking to undermine stability.
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