Temporary peace at the top of the State

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul (C), Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug (R) meet at the Presidential Palace in Ankara February 25, 2010. Turkey’s political and military leaders meet on Thursday as a storm gathers over a coup plot investigation against the armed forces which is threatening stability and investor confidence in the EU-candidate country. REUTERS/Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Palace Press Office/Handout

Turkey’s Leaders Seek to Defuse Crisis

from NYT > Turkey by By SEBNEM ARSU and SABRINA TAVERNISE

Tensions were rising between the military and the government over the arrests of 20 former and current officers on charges of plotting a coup. Three of those officers were subsequently released.

Turkish leaders meet as coup plot storm gathers – washingtonpost.com

BBC News – Turkey’s religious-secular divide

Release of Turkey generals eases tensions for now – washingtonpost.com

Turkish voices

from BBC News | Europe | World Edition

‘Coup’ arrests spark fresh debate on army’s role

BÜLENT KENEŞ – What does the Gül-Erdoğan-Başbuğ meeting imply?

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was spurred into action upon the detention of about 50 retired and active duty generals, admirals and military officers of various ranks under the scope of the probe into the Sledgehammer (Balyoz) action plan, which is accepted as being preparatory work for overthrowing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), and the TSK’s commanding generals quickly produced actions and statements that clearly signify pressure on the judiciary.

Turkey Unsettled by Officer Arrests

from NYT > Turkey by By SEBNEM ARSU

Tensions between Turkey’s powerful military and the government escalated sharply on Wednesday as a court ordered the formal arrests of 12 officers on charges they had plotted a coup.

Turkey’s coup plotters

Lies and whispers
More arrests stoke the battle between the army and the government

Feb 25th 2010 | ISTANBUL | From The Economist print edition

FOR decades Turkey’s meddlesome generals inspired fear and respect. These days they rouse pity and even scorn, as scores of retired and serving officers are arrested and jailed for alleged plots to overthrow the Justice and Development (AK) party, which has ruled the country since 2002.”

Plot thickens in Turkey ‘coup plan’
BBC News
Over the following months, these two cases were tied by state prosecutors into a much larger conspiracy they called Ergenekon

EMRE USLU – Would military generals resign from their posts?

On Monday 49 senior military officers were detained on accusations of plotting to topple the country’s Islamist-rooted government in a violent coup. A former deputy chief of the army, a retired air force chief, the chief of the navy and several generals and admirals were among those detained by police in a sweep carried out in eight Turkish cities.

ANDREW FINKEL – A Sledgehammer to crack a nut

For a public prosecutor to haul in not one rogue general but an entire officers’ mess for questioning is more than man-bites-dog.

President, PM and Head of Army Meet for Three-Hour Summit

from Bianet :: English

President Gül, Prime Minister Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Başbuğ met for around three hours. In a short statement afterwards they said that the law would deal with the current issues.

KLAUS JURGENS – How to demilitarize our language

Language often becomes a weapon-like tool instead of what it is supposed to be: an act of educated communication symbolizing a white flag — not in the sense of a verbal surrender but to convey a message of listening before speaking and understanding instead. At the same time language is a triumph of our civilization: I am not suggesting animals do not communicate, but the human race and its ability to speak and write are unique.

The need for judicial reform as a result of another HSYK event by ADNAN KÜÇÜK

Extraordinary incidents that are unimaginable in a democratic state of law occur in Turkey periodically. One such event took place on Feb. 17.

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Tagged in: balyoz, darbe, Ergenekon Case, HSYK, sledgehammer

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