Baykal calls for gov’t, army action
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 24, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Leader of the Republican People’s Party Deniz Baykal said Turkey is in the dark about the alleged military plan to topple the government, urging both the government and military to reveal the truth on the document that has gripped the attention of the media.
Opposition parties called on the government and the chief of General Staff on Tuesday to reveal the truth behind the alleged military plans to bring down the ruling government, and to take the necessary steps.
"It has been 12 days since the alleged military document to finish off the AKP [the ruling Justice and Development Party] came out but there are no developments on the issue. We are still in dark whether the document was real or forged," Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said in his address at his party’s parliamentary group meeting. "It is a matter which is related to the primary function and reliability of the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces]. It is a matter of whether it is an institution that runs within the constitutional and democratic framework. There is a pretty grave accusation being made against the Turkish military," Baykal said. Referring to the reconciliation between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ in their bid to investigate and solve the issue, Baykal urged the two to reveal the truth as soon as possible.
"There is harmony among the higher authorities. They should enlighten us on how they achieved such a harmony so that we could see there was nothing to worry about," he said. "We reached such a point that the integrity of the document is no longer important. If there is such a document, the necessary steps should be taken. If it is a plot, then we want to see as soon as possible the results of the remarks of chief of General Staff so that the public sees what would happen if such a document exists." Noting that they were satisfied with the harmony between the government and military, he said the Turkish nation had the right to see the grounds for such reconciliation. Irrespective of whether the document is real or forged, it would deeply affect Turkey, according to Baykal.
No future with pro-junta army
"It would be very grave if it is revealed that the TSK lost its institutional wholeness without control of the General Staff. If it is not so, then how has been accused and how can such a plot be made against it? How did we reach such a point?" he asked.
Baykal said the Ergenekon case was the big problem and called on the government to change Article 15 of the Constitution, which gives immunity to the organizers of the Sept. 12 coup, saying: "If you want to challenge the Sept. 12 military coup then let’s change the article. We will support it."
The Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, leader Devlet Bahçeli, meanwhile, said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting Tuesday that Parliament was spoiled and the tension in the country had mounted. The AKP has lost its ability to run the country, he said
"I invite Prime Minister Erdoğan to review his understanding of politics, which is pretty far from delicate. It will be to ignore historical experiences to look for the mentalities which impose a threat to democracy outside politics and try to attract attention in this direction," he said.
Ahmet Türk, the head of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, came up with nine-item road map for the government. Article 35 of the Interior Service Law, which allows the TSK to intervene in politics, should be changed and the broad authorization granted to the military should be limited, he said.
"It has been 12 days since the alleged military document to finish off the AKP [the ruling Justice and Development Party] came out but there are no developments on the issue. We are still in dark whether the document was real or forged," Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, said in his address at his party’s parliamentary group meeting. "It is a matter which is related to the primary function and reliability of the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces]. It is a matter of whether it is an institution that runs within the constitutional and democratic framework. There is a pretty grave accusation being made against the Turkish military," Baykal said. Referring to the reconciliation between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ in their bid to investigate and solve the issue, Baykal urged the two to reveal the truth as soon as possible.
"There is harmony among the higher authorities. They should enlighten us on how they achieved such a harmony so that we could see there was nothing to worry about," he said. "We reached such a point that the integrity of the document is no longer important. If there is such a document, the necessary steps should be taken. If it is a plot, then we want to see as soon as possible the results of the remarks of chief of General Staff so that the public sees what would happen if such a document exists." Noting that they were satisfied with the harmony between the government and military, he said the Turkish nation had the right to see the grounds for such reconciliation. Irrespective of whether the document is real or forged, it would deeply affect Turkey, according to Baykal.
No future with pro-junta army
"It would be very grave if it is revealed that the TSK lost its institutional wholeness without control of the General Staff. If it is not so, then how has been accused and how can such a plot be made against it? How did we reach such a point?" he asked.
Baykal said the Ergenekon case was the big problem and called on the government to change Article 15 of the Constitution, which gives immunity to the organizers of the Sept. 12 coup, saying: "If you want to challenge the Sept. 12 military coup then let’s change the article. We will support it."
The Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, leader Devlet Bahçeli, meanwhile, said during his party’s parliamentary group meeting Tuesday that Parliament was spoiled and the tension in the country had mounted. The AKP has lost its ability to run the country, he said
"I invite Prime Minister Erdoğan to review his understanding of politics, which is pretty far from delicate. It will be to ignore historical experiences to look for the mentalities which impose a threat to democracy outside politics and try to attract attention in this direction," he said.
Ahmet Türk, the head of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, came up with nine-item road map for the government. Article 35 of the Interior Service Law, which allows the TSK to intervene in politics, should be changed and the broad authorization granted to the military should be limited, he said.