Some papers turn blind eye to shady TSK plans outlined in third letter

The letter, the third to be received by prosecutors from anonymous military officers in recent weeks, revealed that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had more plans to destroy the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and reshape society.

Included with the letter was a CD loaded with 590 folders of confidential military documents. The letter revealed that the TSK had systematic plans to tarnish the AK Party’s public image and to create concern among the public about religious fundamentalism.

While newspapers such as Zaman, Taraf, Star, Yeni Şafak, Bugün and Akşam covered the newest letter on their front pages yesterday, giving details about the content of the documents sent by the unnamed military officer, newspapers such as Milliyet, Hürriyet, Vatan, Cumhuriyet and Habertürk either failed to cover the news or gave the story limited coverage.

The CD included with the letter contained evidence that the General Staff used a number of ultranationalist TV stations and newspapers to back its propaganda against the government. Some of these newspapers were Hürriyet, Milliyet, Radikal and Cumhuriyet, which published news supporting the aims of the TSK plan. Some articles published by these newspapers were ghostwritten by TSK operatives in accordance with a TSK plan that suggested that newspaper reports be published about the “luxurious” and “anti-Islamic” lives led by prominent Muslim figures.

The Hürriyet daily, which covered the news about the third letter on page 27 in a small corner story, gave limited information about the content of the letter and reported that the letter detailed the TSK’s plans to shape public opinion through the media.

The Vatan daily’s article on the subject appeared on page 18 under the headline: “TSK planned to make [director] Sinan Çetin shoot movies about terrorism and reactionaryism.” The coverage was limited and the daily termed the allegations of the unnamed military officer in his letter as “interesting.”

In the Sabah, Cumhuriyet and Milliyet dailies, there was not a single word published about the third letter.