Retired military chiefs held over Turkish coup plot

[[R_H]]

Telegraph

Three of Turkey's most senior former military leaders are being held on suspicion of plotting to provoke a conflict with Greece in an attempt to destabilise the country and pave the way for a coup. They are accused of planning to provoke the Greek air force into shooting down a fighter jet to persuade the public the government was unable to guarantee national security.

The "Sledgehammer" plot is also said to have involved blowing up mosques and museums in Turkey so they could be blamed on outsiders and undermine the government.Gen Ergin Saygun, a former deputy chief of the general staff, Gen Ibrahim Firtina, an ex-air force commander and Adml Ozden Ornek, the former head of the navy, were held during raids on their homes. A further 50 officers were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the plan.

The plan, said to have been formulated in 2003, called for Turkish jets to engage in aggressive manoeuvres with Greek counterparts in the sensitive airspace above Aegean Sea.

By provoking the Greeks into opening fire the plotters hoped to "turn the clock back to 1923" – the last year of the Greco-Turkish War. Domestic turmoil would be unleashed by separate bomb attacks on prominent mosques.

Once riots and demonstrations broke out, the military hoped to step in to oust the newly elected AK Party, which was viewed with suspicion because of its Islamic roots.

Among the plans was the seizure of the Fenerbahce football stadium in Istanbul to hold people rounded up in mass arrests. The plotters estimated that 200,000 people in the Istanbul area would pose a threat to public order after martial law was imposed.

The Lira fell one per cent as news of the round of arrests circulated yesterday.

The secularist Turkish army and judicial establishment has been ensnared by the investigation into the Ergenekon coup plot. It is the latest in a series of plots and conspiracies unearthed since the investigation was launched in 2007. Other schemes included the murder of a Roman Catholic priest and a prominent Armenian journalist.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister since 2003, hailed the latest round of arrests.

Turkey's military, which views itself as the founder of the state, has overthrown four governments since 1960 but conditions of European Union membership negotiations has left it little scope to depose elected politicians.

After decades of unquestioned military supremacy, the sight of senior military leaders – who are commonly addressed with the Ottoman-era title of pasha – handcuffed and facing the courts is a stark reversal of fortune. Secret recordings of generals plotting have been leaked and the details of the plot have inspired a minor publishing boom.

The investigation has also implicated senior members of the judiciary which, like the military, has resisted the modernising reforms of the current government.

Prime Minister Erdogan yesterday declared he would use the government's strong parliamentary majority to force through judicial reforms that have been resisted by the conservative bench.

"The judicial system should be objective and independent at the same time," he said. "We are willing to carry out a constitutional reform and we're going to bring the issue to the parliament with or without support from the opposition."

Very interesting that they wanted to provoke a conflict with Greece. How would the rest of NATO have reacted to that?

[Kane Starkiller]

I doubt that NATO as an institution would be able to make any meaningful response. I suspect that US, if the conflict escalated into a full blown war, would support Turkey since it is a strategic ally against Iran and Russia.
If that happened Russia would inevitably side with Greece.

[[R_H]]

I doubt that NATO as an institution would be able to make any meaningful response. I suspect that US, if the conflict escalated into a full blown war, would support Turkey since it is a strategic ally against Iran and Russia.
If that happened Russia would inevitably side with Greece.

Wouldn't that be the (beginning of the) end of NATO?

[Aaron]

I doubt it, NATO didn't get involved in 1974 when Turkey invaded Cyprus.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I doubt it, NATO didn't get involved in 1974 when Turkey invaded Cyprus.

NATO then and now are very different though. There's no huge singular enemy to hate now, though some parts of NATO might disagree.

[Vympel]

Yes, but just because NATO wouldn't get involved doesn't mean the US would. However, I don't think the US would get involved either. The US has shitloads of diaspora Greeks, and I can't imagine any politician would want to cop the shitstorm of siding with Turkey against Greece that would result.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Yes, but just because NATO wouldn't get involved doesn't mean the US would. However, I don't think the US would get involved either. The US has shitloads of diaspora Greeks, and I can't imagine any politician would want to cop the shitstorm of siding with Turkey against Greece that would result.

Do the Greeks have strong political influence in the US? I was under the impression of no?

[Shroom Man 777]

Does this scheme reflect desperation in the part of the secularist military hierarchy and the judiciary, in light of the gains made by the Islamist parties in the government? What does this mean for the secularist military guys? Are we going to see their power gradually eroded as Turkey "liberalizes" and more Islamist influences seep in? Man, that's gonna suck.

@ Fingolfin: Lots of Americans have Greek roots.

[[R_H]]

Does this scheme reflect desperation in the part of the secularist military hierarchy and the judiciary, in light of the gains made by the Islamist parties in the government? What does this mean for the secularist military guys? Are we going to see their power gradually eroded as Turkey "liberalizes" and more Islamist influences seep in? Man, that's gonna suck.

I've been wondering pretty much the same thing as well. Seeing how Turkey has about a snowball's chance in hell of being accepted into the EU, will the military continue to allow the AKP to rule, or will they stage another coup?

[Siege]

To be fair, the AK Party hardly strikes me as 'Islamist'. As I recall they were popular more because of their proposed economic and democratic reforms than because of their religious affiliations, which Erdogan has sought to moderate at every turn. Frankly, I suspect elements of the Turkish military are just pining for the days when they could depose whomever they wanted, and can't accept that the times have changed. This stuff about the AK Party being Islamist wolves in sheeps' clothing is just an excuse to set back the clock a few decades; AK has been in power since 2007, if Erdogan was going to implement a secret Islamist agenda he'd have done so by now.

[[R_H]]

To be fair, the AK Party hardly strikes me as 'Islamist'. As I recall they were popular more because of their proposed economic and democratic reforms than because of their religious affiliations, which Erdogan has sought to moderate at every turn. Frankly, I suspect elements of the Turkish military are just pining for the days when they could depose whomever they wanted, and can't accept that the times have changed. This stuff about the AK Party being Islamist wolves in sheeps' clothing is just an excuse to set back the clock a few decades; AK has been in power since 2007, if Erdogan was going to implement a secret Islamist agenda he'd have done so by now.

Why can't the depose whomever they want any more, what's stopping them? Why would the Kemalists need a conflict with Greece to depose the current government? As to them being Islamist or not, the AKP tried to ban the sale of alcoholic products in a part of Ankara (where there are a lot of restaurants) back in 2005, but after local businesses protested the ban was lifted.

[Siege]

Why can't the depose whomever they want any more, what's stopping them?

Popular opinion and the international community's most likely reaction. This isn't the 1960s, you can't expect to depose a legitimately elected government with nothing but some vague claims about communism, islamism, or whatever and expect to get away with it. A huge chunk of the Turkish people voted for these guys; they were massively popular at the time (and remain so, although the enthusiasm seems to have cooled down a little). Depose them and the best that can happen is that the electorate will just vote for them again, and in the meantime you'll be facing who knows what in terms of economic or political sanctions.

Why would the Kemalists need a conflict with Greece to depose the current government?

My guess would be they thought a proper, old-fashioned crisis would divert the attention of the Turkish people whilst they turn back the clock with their mass arrests and whatever other crazy plans they had going on.

As to them being Islamist or not, the AKP tried to ban the sale of alcoholic products in a part of Ankara (where there are a lot of restaurants) back in 2005, but after local businesses protested the ban was lifted.

That's all? A ban on the sale of alcoholics in some undefined part of the capital five years ago? Which was promptly overturned, no less? The AKP came to power in 2007, accruing 46.66 percent of all votes, which netted them 341 out of 550 seats in parliament. So they have a sizeable majority in parliament, the serving Prime Minister is the AK Party leader, and the President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, was nominated by them. And yet the only thing remotely Islamic they've done since 2007 is lift the headscarf ban in all universities. Pardon me, but if that makes them 'Islamist' then they certainly aren't the type of Islamists I'd be particularly worried about.