A delicate situation

First, the Military Prosecutor’s Office banned all broadcasts and publications related to the document, and then launched an investigation into the allegations. After almost three days of lull on the issue, the military announced Monday in a statement posted on its Web site that:

"In line with the evidence we received in the investigation, we have concluded that no units of the General Staff have prepared the alleged document." When that statement was not found by the ruling party and the media as a clear enough denial or confirmation of the existence of such a military action plan, the military, just hours later, posted on its Web site a second statement, saying that military prosecutors were seeking to obtain the original copy of the document for forensic examination to reach "a definite conclusion on whether it is forged or real."

The statement also stressed that the military "cannot keep within its system any personnel whose actions and opinions are not compatible with democracy and the principles of a state governed by the rule of law. The important thing is that the military prosecutors find out whether the referred document is authentic or not as soon as possible. If it is proven that the document is genuine, we are confident that the culprits will be punished through the judicial authorities." The statement said if the document proved to be bogus, the military would make every effort to uncover the individual and goal behind the preparation of the document.

Opposing camps once again

As has become a tradition over the past few years, the country immediately became polarized in its assessment of the development. One group undermined the military’s statements Ğ and a declaration by the accused colonel’s lawyer that his client never wrote such an action plan Ğ and started saying that the military should not have been expected to confirm the plot it was planning to stage anyhow and that the government should urgently dismiss from the Armed Forces those officers who were caught "red handed." According to this group, military prosecutors cannot adequately investigate the military probing a crime allegedly committed by some military officers, and the issue should be referred to the Ergenekon prosecutors who are already probing an alleged coup attempt. Another group totally ignored the possibility that such an action plan might have been written by some officers and came up with the allegation that the Turkish military was once again faced with a very serious smearing campaign aimed at ruining the military’s prestige among the people. This second group was of the opinion that neither the AKP nor the Gülen brotherhood organization, but rather the military, was the subject of a very serious plot.

Irrespective of which thesis is correct, it must be obvious to everyone that a very serious situation exists. If there is a plot against the AKP and the Gülen movement, and if that plot was written as alleged, only last April, perhaps it is in the best interest of everyone in this country to wake up and realize that the coup threat that we believed no longer exists in Turkey, perhaps still does exist. Thus, it is in the best national interest to investigate the claims thoroughly and bring to justice as soon as possible those engaged in such heinous adventures.

However, if there was no such plot and, indeed, there is a systematic smear campaign aimed at destroying the prestige of the military among the Turkish people and making it subservient to political pressures, then Turkey’s national interest requires that clarification be brought on who launched such a campaign and why, as well as the timing of the effort.

Due to the publication ban, we cannot go into specifics about the alleged action plan, but our impression is that it is genuine, though Ğ rather than the work of a military group within the chain of command Ğ it might be the work of an individual officer or group of officers. Still, for the good of the country, this issue must be probed in great detail and speed, and without losing much time, a definitive answer must be given as to whether or not it is genuine and what measures are being planned to be taken accordingly. This issue cannot wait for long. It is too delicate.