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FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK f.zibak@todayszaman.com Columnists

All eyes on the General Staff


As the authenticity of a military plot aimed at undermining the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and the faith-based Gülen movement has been confirmed, everyone now wonders what the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will do with those who devised the treacherous plan.

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First unearthed by a daily over the summer, the plot returned to the agenda once again when the original copy of the document was forwarded to the İstanbul Prosecutor’s Office by an unnamed military officer on Friday. Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ, who termed the plot “a piece of paper” when a photocopy was first published by the Taraf daily, is now expected to take action and clear the TSK’s name, reversing the damage dealt by the plot, in line with his promise to take the necessary steps if the plot proves to be authentic.

Recalling Gen. Başbuğ’s promise when the document was first uncovered in the summer that the necessary action will be taken if the plot is authentic, Sabah’s Nazlı Iıcak says everyone now wonders what kind of steps Başbuğ will take with the discovery of the original plot document, which details a systematic plan to destroy the reputation of the AK Party and the Gülen movement in the eyes of the public. Although she is horrified by the preparation of such a plot at the General Staff headquarters, Ilıcak finds it promising that there are at least some officers in the military who believe in the rule of law and hence saved the original copy of the plot from destruction.

 Bugün’s Erhan Başyurt says he has full confidence that the TSK will not remain indifferent to the military plot, which was forwarded to prosecutors by a member of the TSK. He also finds it promising that there is a group within the TSK that is disturbed by the existence of a junta wishing to wage war against the public and making plans to overthrow the democratically elected government.

 Star’s Şamil Tayyar, appealing to Gen. Başbuğ, says: “Let’s speak clearly, esteemed Pasha, without getting angry and offended. If this plot was prepared at the General Staff headquarters, it can be interpreted in two ways: Either the chief of general staff has no knowledge about the preparation of such a plot or it was prepared within the knowledge of the chief of general staff. Both of these assessments are very terrible. The first one indicates the existence of a weak general who has no influence over the military while the other is the picture of a general who committed a crime. If there is a third way, I look forward to hearing it,” says Tayyar.

27 October 2009, Tuesday
FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
   
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Columnists
ABDULHAMİT BİLİCİ
ABDULLAH BOZKURT
ALİ BULAÇ
ALİ H. ASLAN
AMANDA PAUL
ANDREW FINKEL
ASIM ERDİLEK
AYŞE KARABAT
BEJAN MATUR
BERİL DEDEOĞLU
BERK ÇEKTİR
BÜLENT KENEŞ
BÜLENT KORUCU
CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON
DOĞU ERGİL
EKREM DUMANLI
EMRE USLU
ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN
FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
FİKRET ERTAN
GÜRKAN ZENGİN
HASAN KANBOLAT
HÜSEYİN GÜLERCE
İBRAHİM KALIN
İBRAHİM ÖZTÜRK
İHSAN DAĞI
İHSAN YILMAZ
KATHY HAMILTON
KERİM BALCI
KLAUS JURGENS
LALE KEMAL
MEHMET KAMIŞ
MICHAEL KUSER
MUHAMMED ÇETİN
MÜMTAZER TÜRKÖNE
NICOLE POPE
ÖMER TAŞPINAR
ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ
PAT YALE
ŞAHİN ALPAY
SELÇUK GÜLTAŞLI
SUAT KINIKLIOĞLU
YAVUZ BAYDAR