Turkey coup plot

[Fighter488]

Retired generals 'detained in Turkey coup plot'​

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

ANKARA — Turkish police Monday detained more than 40 people, including former air force and navy chiefs, in connection with an alleged military plot against the Islamist-rooted government, officials and media reports said.

The police swoop came amid rising tensions between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist movement -- and its secularist opponents.

"This morning our security forces began a detention process," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference during an official visit to Spain.

"As of now, more than 40 people have been detained," he said, but gave no details on who was arrested.

The CNN-Turk and NTV news channels said police detained former air force chief Ibrahim Firtina, former navy chief Ozden Ornek and other high-ranking officers both retired and on active service in Ankara, Istanbul, the western city of Izmir and the northwestern city of Bursa.

Those held were brought to Istanbul for questioning by anti-terror police.

They included at least five other retired top officials, among them Ergin Saygun, the former First Army commander and retired admirals Ahmet Feyyaz Ogutcu and Lutfi Sancar, the reports said.

CNN-Turk said army chief Ilker Basbug postponed a three-day official trip to Egypt bacuse of the operation.

There was no comment on the detentions either from police or prosecutors who ordered the arrests.

Both Firtina and Ornek were linked to a purported 2003 plot to discredit the AKP government which was revealed by the liberal Taraf daily in January.

The plan, codenamed "Sledgehammer", involved bombing two Istanbul mosques and escalating tensions with Greece by forcing Greek jets to down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea in a bid to show the government as inept, according to documents obtained by Taraf.

The Turkish army said the documents were discussed in a seminar on war-time contingency plans, but denied they represented a coup plot.

Operation Sledgehammer was the latest in a series of purported military plots, mostly revealed by pro-government media, aimed at orchestrating political chaos in the country and ousting the AKP government.

The allegations have caused Basbug to complain of a "psychological campaign" to smear the army and warn of a possible "confrontation between institutions."

Dozens of suspects -- among them two retired generals accused of being ringleaders -- are already on trial for alleged membership of the so-called Ergenekon network.

Firtina and Ornek had already testified to police in December over supposed links to the anti-government network.

The Ergenekon investigation, which began in 2007, was initially hailed as a success in a country where the army has unseated four governments since 1960 and wielded significant political clout.

But the affair has since lost credibility as police started targeting journalists, academics and writers known as AKP critics, and some suspects accused police of doctoring and fabricating evidence.

Government critics fear the coup allegations are orchestrated attempts by AKP supporters to cripple the army and remove a major obstacle to the party's alleged secret agenda of transforming Turkey into an Islamic state.

AFP: Retired generals 'detained in Turkey coup plot'

 

[Fighter488]

Turkish military high command detained over fears of secular 'coup'​

More than 40 high-ranking military chiefs arrested amid power struggle between secular state and Islamic-leaning government

Monday 22 February 2010 16.32 GMT

Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 'We did not give a chance to those who tried to fly a course for Turkey outside law, democracy and national sovereignty.'

Police in Turkey today detained more than 40 high-ranking military commanders for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government.

The arrests highlighted the ongoing struggle between the secular establishment and the government and leaves question marks over the traditional role of the military as the pillar of the secular state.

The detention of several senior military officers – including members of the elite class known as Pashas, a title of respect harking back to Ottoman times – underlines that such officials are no longer untouchable.

"We could not even dream about things that we see happening now," Turkey's deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc, said. "Things will get better when those who were never accountable for their deeds begin to account for them."

The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Madrid, said only that the crackdown was carried out solely on the orders of prosecutors.

"It would not be appropriate for me to talk about an issue that is already handled by the judiciary," Erdogan said.

The military's image was already tarnished by allegations it was secretly planning to depose Erdogan's elected government for undermining secularism in the predominantly Muslim but officially secular country.

The commanders detained today are reportedly accused of seeking to foment chaos by blowing up mosques to trigger a military takeover. The military denies the accusation.

Yesterday, before the arrests, Erdogan said the government was preserving the rule of law. "We did not give a chance to those who tried to fly a course for Turkey outside law," he said. Several high-ranking members of Turkey's military, including ex-deputy chief General Ergin Saygun, former air force chief General Ibrahim Firtina and navy chief Admiral Ozden Ornek were among those detained. Several other senior admirals and generals were also among the suspects.

In total prosecutors have charged more than 400 people, including soldiers, academics, journalists and politicians. No one has yet been convicted.

The detentions followed revelations of wiretap evidence and the discovery of secret weapons caches, which dealt a blow to the military's credibility.

Turkey's secular military has ousted four governments since 1960, which is why many Turks believe it has been the real power since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created the republic out of the Ottoman Empire.

Under European Union pressure, Erdogan has dramatically curtailed the military's power and reinforced civilian rule, while bolstering democratic institutions.


Turkish military high command detained over fears of secular 'coup' | World news | guardian.co.uk

 

[Hussein]

well well well
i understand why now fake informations were given about Erdogan in few newspapers!
like a danish one

 

[Fighter488]

Any source for this info?
Please share the link.

Fighter

 

[Hussein]

sorry i lost it because someone was chating with me and i didn't save in my messenger the messages

i just could find one of the links
Choking scandal: Turkish Prime Minister Abuses 13 Year Old Boy | EuropeNews

 

[PAFAce]

Here's what I understand. Part of the Turkish military is strongly secular minded, and they are uneasy with the present pro-Islamic government. Some ex-military men may believe that the current government will isolate Turkey even more in Europe.

Anyway, it is their internal matter. Most of us aren't qualified to get into any serious debate on this topic.

 

[ejaz007]

More than 40 held in Turkey coup plot: Erdogan
Updated at: 2115 PST, Monday, February 22, 2010


ANKARA: Turkish police Monday detained more than 40 people, including former air force and navy chiefs, in connection with an alleged military plot against the Islamist-rooted government, officials and media reports said.

The police swoop came amid rising tensions between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist movement, and its secularist opponents.

"This morning our security forces began a detention process," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference during an official visit to Spain.

"As of now, more than 40 people have been detained," he said, but gave no details on who was arrested.

The CNN-Turk and NTV news channels said police detained former air force chief Ibrahim Firtina, former navy chief Ozden Ornek and other high-ranking officers both retired and on active service in Ankara, Istanbul, the western city of Izmir and the northwestern city of Bursa.

Those held were brought to Istanbul for questioning by anti-terror police.

They included at least five other retired top officials, among them Ergin Saygun, the former First Army commander and retired admirals Ahmet Feyyaz Ogutcu and Lutfi Sancar, the reports said.

CNN-Turk said army chief Ilker Basbug postponed a three-day official trip to Egypt because of the operation.

There was no comment on the detentions either from police or prosecutors who ordered the arrests.

More than 40 held in Turkey coup plot: Erdogan

 

[Fighter488]

Here's what I understand. Part of the Turkish military is strongly secular minded, and they are uneasy with the present pro-Islamic government. Some ex-military men may believe that the current government will isolate Turkey even more in Europe.

It look precisely this issue. Secularism, some in armed forces think, is under threat. This may force already reluctant EU to abandon Turkey, providing an alibi. But the fact is that Islamist won their mendate on ballot, not with guns!

In next election a secular party may come to power. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has to perform on economic front more vigouresly to keep the mendate.

Turkey is doing quite fine on economic front till now. Integration with EU is under process. Overall turkey look more on the rise with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan led government. This attempt of coup from former chiefs, look motivated from outside turkey, who do not want a resurgent turkey under Islamists, not from within.

Fighter

 

[neo4moss]

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A man claiming to be Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 man, blasts the Turkish government for its role in Afghanistan in a newly released video.
CNN cannot authenticate the message, but CNN analysts who listened to the recording say the voice is consistent with al-Zawahiri's intonation and accent.
In what would be al-Zawahiri's first audio message released to the world in 2010, the speaker accuses mostly Muslim Turkey of committing crimes against Islam and its adherents. Turkey is one of several countries that have committed troops to the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The speaker did not appear in person in the video; a picture of him was shown instead as part of a larger production focusing on al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The video was released by As-Sahab Media, al Qaeda's production company.
"Let every free Turkish Muslim who is keen on protecting Islam and his fellow Muslims know that the Turkish forces will serve the Crusader campaign in Afghanistan, which is burning the villages, destroying the houses and killing the women and the children, occupying the lands of the Muslims, fighting the Sharia and spreading lewdness, debauchery and corruption," the speaker says.
"The Turkish troops will carry out the same operations in Afghanistan that the Jews are carrying out in Palestine, so how would the pious, free Turkish Muslim people accept such a crime against Islam and the Muslims?" the speaker asks.
Turkey has 1,755 troops with NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. According to the Turkish General Staff, Turkey led the force from February 2004 to August 2005.
Turkey also led Regional Command Capital in Kabul from April 2006 to December 2007. The command capital oversees security and reconstruction; it does not participate in counterterrorism or drug trafficking operations, the Turkish General Staff says on its Web site.
Amid the harsh rhetoric toward Turkey, the speaker does not refer to any specific Turkish military operations in Afghanistan.
The undated, 22-minute video is similar to other As-Sahab productions, says Octavia Nasr, CNN senior editor for Mideast affairs. These heavily produced videos serve as "propaganda for al Qaeda," she said.
"They are posted on radical Islamist Web sites for the purpose of recruitment and incitement," she said.
After the message purported to be from al-Zawahiri, the video goes on to feature a Turkish man, identified as Muaath al-Turki, who is described as a soon-to-be martyr.
Al-Turki praises the September 11 attacks, asks his family for forgiveness and tells them not to grieve over him. Asked whether he is happy or sad about his coming mission, he says he is sad only that he "can die only once for the sake of jihad."
According to the narration on the video, al-Turki attacked the U.S. base in Khost, Afghanistan, the same base that was the site of a December 30 suicide attack in which seven CIA operatives and a Jordanian army captain were killed.
The narrator describes the locale as "the old Khost airport that the U.S. forces and the CIA use as their operations headquarters and a den for their intelligence service."
The video shows, from a distance, an explosion and billowing smoke, and the narrator says al-Turki's attack killed eight U.S. soldiers and 12 Afghans.
The U.S. military says there is no truth to that claim.
The one other suicide attack on the Khost base was in January 2008, Sgt. Susan Wilt at the Bagram base in Afghanistan said. The assailant prematurely detonated the bomb, and no U.S. soldiers died, she said. Three Afghans, however, were killed, she said.
CNN's Saad Abedine and Khadijah Rentas contributed to this report.


Al Qaeda video rails against Turkey - CNN.com

 

[Fighter488]

Could you through some light over Purpose of this post here? How it is relevent to the topic?

Fighter

 

[Fighter488]

Military Coups in Turkey—(1960-1997): Turkey has a history of its military overthrowing elected governments and imposing or re-imposing its own brand of political correctness on the nation. The Turkish military, the army in particular, sees itself as the guardian of the pro-Western, secular, (or non-religious) form of government established by modern Turkey's founder, Kemal Ataturk.

Four times since the founding of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s, the military has stepped in to effect a change in government.

Below is a listing of the four coups in modern Turkish history.

1960 Turkish coup d'état--The Turkish Army overthrew the government of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. He and other members of his government were put on trial, and he was hanged in 1961, along with his Foreign Minister and his Finance Minister.

1971 Turkish coup d'état--The Turkish Army overthrew the government of the conservative prime minister, Suleyman Demirel.

1980 Turkish coup d'état--The military took power in Turkey after months of violence between leftist and rightist militants nearly brought Turkey to the point of civil war. The United States supported the Turkish military, seeking stability in the midst of the U.S.-Iran Hostage Crisis and the ongoing Soviet War in Afghanistan. Kenan Evren, the leader of the coup, took over the presidency and then rewrote the constitution to guarantee the military's political power.

1997 Turkish coup d'état--The Turkish military forced Necmettin Erbakan's Islamist-led coalition government to resign. The secular military feared that Erbakan was trying to change the basic nature of Turkish politics and government and turn Turkey into an Islamic-led theocracy like neighboring Iran. After forcing Erbakan from power, the army turned the government over to more secular politicians.

2007-2009--The government arrested 86 people, including writers, members of civil organizations and former military officers, charging them with membership in an illegal ultranationalist organization and of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. In January, 2009, 30 more were arrested, including three retired generals, and a former police chief.

HistoryGuy.com: Military Coups in Turkey

 

[Fighter488]

A history of Turkey's coups

The first coup was in 1960 when the army arrested all members of the ruling Democrat Party and put them on trial.

• In 1961, Adnan Menderes, the overthrown prime minister, was hanged together with his foreign and finance ministers.

• In 1971, the army forced the conservative prime minister, Suleyman Demirel, to resign. Martial law was declared and a government of "technocrats" installed.

• The army's last major intervention in politics came in 1980 when the generals took over Turkey after violence between Left- and Right-wing students brought them to the brink of civil war.

• The Junta leader, Kenan Evren, elevated himself to the presidency and rewrote the constitution to guarantee the army's power.

• In 1997 the army forced the Islamist-led coalition of Necmettin Erbakan to resign on the grounds that he was steering Turkey toward religious rule. But the army refrained from seizing power and allowed secular politicians to form a new government.

A history of Turkey's coups - Telegraph

 

[Abi]

Very Democratic.

 

[Al-zakir]

Similar coup were attempt couple years ago by secularist army but failed then and now. Good job.

 

[Fighter488]

Turkish Court Charges 7 Officers in Coup Plot​

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 24, 2010
Filed at 1:25 a.m. ET

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- A Turkish court on Wednesday formally charged and ordered jailed seven senior Turkish military officers for allegedly plotting several years ago to overthrow the Islamic-leaning government.

The wiretap evidence and discovery of alleged military plans drafted in 2003 to overthrow the government led to the detention of about 50 commanders Monday in the highest profile crackdown ever on the military which has ousted four governments since 1960.

The court in Istanbul ordered that four admirals, an army general and two staff colonels be jailed. It released six other officers Wednesday but it was not clear whether they were freed pending trial.

Prosecutors were still questioning dozens of other high-ranking officers, including former chiefs of the Navy, Air Force and Special Forces.

The crackdown dramatically escalated tensions in the country between the military-backed secular establishment and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamic-leaning government has strong electoral backing and the European Union's support

Top generals and admirals met at the military headquarters on Tuesday and issued a brief statement, saying they discussed ''the serious situation'' regarding the investigation.

Deniz Baykal, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party, accused the government on Tuesday of engaging in a ''political showdown.''

''Why you waited for seven years?'' Baykal asked. ''These are commanders who wear pajamas and slippers now!''

Baykal, however, signaled that he would support the prosecution of military leaders who actually toppled governments in the past in an apparent reference to Gen. Kenan Evren, the leader of the 1980 coup.

Erdogan denies the crackdown is politically driven. He insists his efforts to improve human rights and bring Turkey into line with European Union standards is evidence that his government is seeking to enhance democracy, while putting the military under civilian rule as in the West.

The alleged secret military plans -- dubbed ''the sledgehammer'' -- included blowing up some mosques during Friday prayers and turning stadiums into open-air prisons capable of holding tens of thousands of people if they challenged the troops.

Turkey was abuzz Tuesday with speculation over whether recordings of the plotters, posted on leading Web sites, could possibly be genuine.

In one, a top officer accuses the political leadership of trying to ''tear down the country and carry it into another (Islamic) regime.'' He vows: ''I will unleash (my forces) over Istanbul. ... It is our duty to act without mercy.''

The crackdown has signaled that a major political shift is under way in Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim member and a U.S. ally. The country's stability is crucial for Washington and the EU, which want Turkey to develop into a mature democracy.

''What is striking about this struggle is that nobody had ever held the military accountable for what it had done. No one ever said what you are doing is wrong,'' Henri Barkey, a Turkey expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said by telephone from Washington. ''A societal change is taking place in Turkey at the moment.''

It is widely believed that Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, then head of the military, did not back his subordinates. He was not implicated in the alleged plot.

It was the latest in a series of alleged coup plots in recent years. More than 400 people, including academics, journalists and politicians in addition to soldiers, have already been charged in a previous case. No one has been convicted.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/24/world/AP-EU-Turkey-Coup-Plot.html