Army Statement on Plot Poses More Questions than Answers
Turkish intellectuals and jurists are far from satisfied with separate statements released by the Turkish General Staff's Military Prosecutor's Office and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to address a recently unearthed military plot, calling for a deeper and civilian investigation into the issue. In its statement released on Monday, the prosecutor's office did not deny the existence of the plan that emerged last week, allegedly put together by a colonel on active duty and aiming to defame the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the highly respected Gülen movement.
"Having assessed all of the initial evidence acquired so far, we have reached the conclusion that the alleged action plan was not prepared by any department of the General Staff," the prosecutor's office said.
The statement comes in the wake of an investigation initiated into documents published by the Taraf daily last Friday. The plan, titled "Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism," was seized by security forces in the home of a lawyer for a retired colonel arrested earlier this year on charges of membership in Ergenekon, a clandestine organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government.
According to the documents the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a systematic plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the Gülen movement, inspired by internationally respected Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen, in the eyes of the public; to play down the Ergenekon investigation; and to gather support for members of the military arrested as part of the Ergenekon inquest.
"The alleged document was requested from the Taraf daily, and the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office must conduct a criminal examination of it. The document, however, has not reached our office yet. It will be determined whether the document is genuine or a fake," the prosecutor's office statement also said. However Ergin Cinmen, the lawyer for daily Taraf, announced yesterday that the daily had sent the document to the prosecutor's office as requested.
The statement also recalled a military court's decision to impose a ban on media coverage of the military plot story, which jurists described as unlawful. As a whole, the statement has been deemed unsatisfactory by Turkish intellectuals and jurists, only creating new questions with regard to the issue.
"The expression 'we have reached the conclusion' isn't so convincing in judicial terms. Such wording cannot be used to persuade the public on an important issue. There exists an ambiguity within it. If you want to persuade the public, you need to use more definite expressions. It would be more convincing if the statement included such an expression as 'It has been understood'," says Sacit Kayasu, a retired prosecutor.
A similar statement was posted on the TSK Web site yesterday, mentioning the conclusion of the Military Prosecutor's Office's initial investigation and stating additionally that the military would not harbor any member whose ideas and opinions do not comply with the principles of a state governed by the rule of law.
The TSK also said it was open to any judicial processes that would be initiated to shed light on the issue, presumably a response to remarks made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who said on Sunday that the government might take legal action regarding the alleged army plot.
"We don't have the slightest doubt that those responsible will be punished as per the law if the document is proven genuine. The TSK will be following the issue closely. If it is not [an authentic document], the TSK will also be in pursuit of by whom and with what purpose the document was manufactured," the TSK statement said.
The military also stressed its full faith in the principles of law and a state governed by the rule of law.
Mehmet Altan, a columnist for the Star daily, opined that the motive behind the statement in question was an effort on part of the General Staff to bide its time to develop a response to the criticism directed at it.
"I didn't find the military prosecutor's office statement convincing. The General Staff chose to make such a statement, as they were unable to deny the existence of the alleged plot. What is included in the statement did not address the questions in people's minds. Therefore, it was not convincing. And I deem that statement to be a tactic by the General Staff to buy time," he remarked.
Murat Sabuncu, a columnist at the Gazeteport news site, agreed, adding that the statement was contradictory on several points.
"The statement says the prosecutor's office reached the conclusion that the alleged action plan was not prepared by any department of the General Staff… Then it says it will be determined whether the document is genuine or a fake only after it is submitted by the Taraf daily and the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. I think that with this statement the military is just trying to gain time," he said.
Some calling on PM Erdoğan must step in
Meanwhile, some intellectuals are skeptical that an investigation carried out by the General Staff or the TSK will yield a result satisfactory to the public.
"The prime minister should do what is necessary. He should firstly call Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ in for a meeting and ask what is going on. Then he should do what must be done. In this sense, a heavy responsibility falls upon the prime minister's shoulders. We are being faced with a scandal. There is an open coup attempt. As the chief of general staff is the head of the military, he should be called to account," said intellectual Altan Tan.
Tan also said a parliamentary probe could be initiated to investigate all aspects of the alleged action plan.
Erdoğan stated at a party congress in the southeastern city of Şanliurfa on Sunday that if necessary, the government would take legal action against relevant individuals. "We cannot hold back here. We cannot simply remain a spectator to an illegal initiative against the AK Party in a democratic environment. We will do what needs to be done," he said.
Bekir Bozdağ, chairman of the AK Party's parliamentary group, called on prosecutors to determine those individuals responsible for the scandal and initiate the necessary judicial processes.
"The statement of the General Staff's Military Prosecutor's Office was not satisfactory. It should have stated whether such a document exists or not. Prosecutors should determine who is responsible and initiate the necessary judicial processes. This issue is not within the scope of authority of military prosecutors, but within that of civilian prosecutors," Bozdağ remarked.
Bozdağ also said it would be signal of a disaster in terms of Turkish democracy, the state and Turkish politics if the document was proved to belong to the military.
The AK Party official also lashed out at the alleged military plan against the Gülen movement, calling it appalling. The documents detail plans to portray members of the Gülen movement as being engaged in illegal acts.
"We will enable the discovery of weapons, ammunition and documents at the addresses of Gülen's followers as if they were members of a terrorist organization. The movement will be named 'Fethullah's Armed Terrorist Organization' and investigations into its members will be carried out by military prosecutors," the plan reads.
"Can you imagine it? They will enable the finding of weapons in the homes of innocent people. And these people will be interrogated by military prosecutors. And a political party that was swept to power through the support of the public will be divided. … These plans are hair-raising. I am sure many people are praying that the document is not genuine. Such a document should not exist. The Turkish General Staff cannot allow the paving of a path for the preparation of such a document," Bozdağ added.
'Unlawful for prosecutors to express opinions on ongoing probe'
Jurists have raised their voices against military prosecutors expressing their opinion on an ongoing investigation, referring to a statement by the General Staff's Military Prosecutor's Office yesterday.
"It is not right for a prosecutor to make a statement at a time when the requested documents related to the investigation have not reached the prosecutor's office. Such a statement is not compatible with the law," stated Mehmet Mete Göktürk, a retired prosecutor.
Göktürk also criticized a military court's decision to impose a ban on media coverage of the military plot story, saying people would react strongly against such a ban in a democratic country.
"However, not many people will raise their voice against the ban in Turkey," he said.
Oral Çalişlar, a columnist at daily Radikal, pointed to a discrepancy in the statement of the prosecutor's office. "The statement is very odd. It says both that prosecutors did not see the document and that the document does not belong to the General Staff. How can they be so sure about a document they did not see?" Çalişlar asked.
Taraf daily objects to media ban
The Taraf daily has objected to a media ban imposed by the General Staff Military Court on coverage of a story first revealed by daily on Friday that details an action plan allegedly put together by a military officer to defame the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gülen movement.
Lawyer Ergin Cinmen submitted a petition to the İstanbul 9th Higher Criminal Court in Beşiktaş to be communicated to the General Staff Military Court through the closest military court, saying that the ban is against the law.
Meanwhile, the Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUM-DER) filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara Prosecutor's Office against Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ and Col. Dursun Çiçek, who allegedly draw up the plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the Gülen movement in the eyes of the public, to play down the Ergenekon investigation and to win support for members of the military arrested as part of the inquest.
Speaking to the press in front of the Ankara courthouse, lawyer Emrullah Beytar from MAZLUM-DER said the plot is apparently a plan to carry out a military coup. "As İlker Başbuğ is the highest ranking official in the General Staff and the other suspect apparently drew up the plan, respect for the rule of law necessitates investigating them," he said.
- Created on .