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The daily Taraf newspaper published the account that there had been a plan by the army to defame the AKP and Fethullah Gülen
In recent days, allegations against the Turkish Armed Forces have emerged. The daily Taraf newspaper published the account of a source who said that there had been a recent action plan by the army to defame the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Fethullah Gülen, a prominent leader of a religious movement in Turkey, currently living in the USA.
According to Taraf, the plan was made in January 2009, and reports on the issue were prepared in February and March
Documents pertaining to the plans were allegedly seized in the house of retired lieutenant Serdar Öztürk when his home was searched as part of the investigation into the ultranationalist clandestine Ergenekon organisation.
According to the Anadolu Agency (AA), the military prosecution has claimed that the documents found at Öztürk's home were not prepared by any unit of the General Staff. A statement making that point was published on the website of the General Staff, saying, "The Turkish Armed Forces, as has been expressed before, does not harbour personnel with behaviour and ideas that violate democracy, law and state principles."
However, in today's (15 June) issue of the newspaper, it cited a "general who could have become Chief of General Staff but is retiring" as saying that he warned current Chief of Staff İlker Başbuğ about plans against the AKP and Gülen, and that Başbuğ had said that he would not allow it.
Following the publication of articles in Taraf newspaper on 12 June, a military court decreed a publishing and broadcasting ban. The newspaper has objected to the ban, saying that a military court was not authorised to decree a ban, and that it violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Prime Minister Erdoğan has expressed his outrage and announced a possible criminal complaint.
Source: bianet (Turkey), June 15, 2009
Posted at: 2009-06-17
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