Government Might Take Action Against Army Plot, Says PM Erdoğan
The government might take legal action against an action plan allegedly put together by an officer in the military to defame the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gülen movement, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday.
The plan, allegedly prepared under the auspices of the Turkish General Staff, is one of the many games shady forces have attempted to play on the AK Party, Erdoğan said. "If necessary, we will take legal action against the 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, speaking at a party congress in the southeastern city of Şanliurfa.
The statement comes after the prime minister's initial reaction on Saturday, when he vowed in a speech in Kars to protect Turkey's democracy against attempts to destroy it. The document, published in the Taraf daily on Friday, bears the "Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism." It was seized by security forces in the house of lawyer Serdar Öztürk, who was arrested during the investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government.
Turkey's politicians unanimously recall that Turkey has seen similar attempts in the past where groups inside the military used their external connections to manipulate the public against certain groups. "We will protect democracy, and we will give it life," Erdoğan said.
With some noting that such intrusions inflict more damage on the military itself than on democracy, politicians agree that those who are responsible should not be allowed to escape punishment.
Erdoğan said his party had been the target of anti-democratic attempts before, commenting: "They walked all over us with illegal organizations and methods, with the mafia, gangs and their criminal organizations, with provocations and anarchy. We never compromised our common sense, we were always patient, we always held the law above everything else. We worked to strengthen the will of the nation and continued on our path. We never gave up on our goals. We will continue to protect democracy from all kinds of threats," he said. The prime minister and party leader also claimed that his party had become a particular target for smear and defamation campaigns following its recent success in the March 29 local elections. But none of these have worked, Erdoğan said: "They learned that the AK Party never disconnects from the real issues because of imaginary fears or artificial topics. So they launched a smear campaign with hollow slander and false accusations. But they have not been able to stain our name."
'Such action plans wear Turkey out'
Mehmet Ocaktan, AK Party Bursa deputy: If this is true, it is a most grave situation. It is very serious that in Turkey, which is negotiating with the EU for membership, is debating such an issue. Such things have also happened in the past. Both politics as an institution and the society have been worn out by these things. So many examples in the past have hurt everybody. Such actions have never benefited the country; to the contrary, they have damaged it. They have damaged the military most.
'Those responsible should answer for this'
İsmail Amasyali, former deputy: As long as the leaders of the Feb. 28, [1997] process are not tried in Turkey, things will continue on like this and they will get away with everything. As long as those who have said they want 'postmodern' coups and those who have rolled tanks out onto the streets are not held to account for this, such actions will continue. Feb. 28 stands out with its concrete evidence. As long as the suspects and witnesses of that period are not brought to the courts, neither Ergenekon nor the most recent developments can be stopped.
'The target here is the people'
Burhan Kayatürk, AK Party Ankara deputy: I am at a loss for words here. All we hope is that something like this will never be repeated again. There is no place for things like these in democracies. Reports like this have also surfaced in the press in the past. The Turkish General Staff should not allow such things to occur. It should launch an investigation immediately and stop this. It is time that such a mentality is left behind. The target here is democracy and the people.
'The military should do its own job'
Mustafa Destici, BBP secretary-general: It is impossible for the Turkish nation to accept such a plan. People who are working for the unity and integrity of the state are being made to look like they are working to destroy the state. For years, the unity of our nation has been harmed by the alleged threat of religious fundamentalism, which was also used to limit individual freedoms. Every institution should stay in its own jurisdiction and within the boundaries of law. The military should carry out its job as specified in the Constitution.
'Seeds of hatred being sown in society'
İbrahim Yiğit, AK Party İstanbul deputy: "I see this action plan as an evil conspiracy that targets societal peace and also aims to plant seeds of hatred between the society and the state. The report also shows that there are plans aiming to provoke the Alevi segment [of society]. I think this action plan was prepared by extensions of the Ergenekon [criminal organization]. It is a provocative work, it is insane. Its character aims to destroy social peace."
'They want to bring down democratic regime'
Mustafa Elitaş, AK Party Kayseri deputy: "It is understood that Ergenekon has employed tactics of psychological warfare to create chaos inside Turkey by using Turkey's most prestigious state agencies in order to destroy Turkey's democratic structure. If you look at some of the debates that occurred in society, both in street protests and in Parliament this report can be interpreted in a different light. There is an attempt to create an atmosphere as if there are disputes within the AK Party."
'Gülen has been acquitted’
Tevfik Diker, former deputy: "When there are problems, the solutions should be sought within the boundaries of politics by remaining loyal to democracy. As long as some in the military General Staff act this way, the winners will be the AK Party and civilian institutions. Everybody should know their place in democracies. Just as the Constitutional Court voted not to shut down the AK Party over anti-secularism allegations, Gülen himself was acquitted by the judiciary. The only thing to do in the face of these facts is to respect the supremacy of law and work to earn the love of the nation. It's about time you left us alone!"
'Politics should be de-militarized'
Hasip Kaplan, DTP Şirnak deputy: "If these allegations are true, then this means there is a very serious problem here. This document is very recent. This is a most grave situation. As long as the political institution is saved from the military's custody, such things will continue. There should be more efforts made to break the influence of the military over politics."
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