If there are attempts to end the investigation like those in June, when the document first emerged, Parliament will take action. Anti-coup protestors find it strange that Parliament is remaining silent over the issue although the action plan, signed by Col. Dursun Çiçek, has been occupying the country's agenda for several months now. Protestors want Parliament to at least start an inquiry, but the AK Party, which holds a majority of seats in Parliament, is not open to that idea and does not even want it to come up.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has also harshly criticized the action plan, and another criminal complaint was filed more recently by the Democratic Society Party (DTP). DTP Chairman Ahmet Türk and deputy chairpersons Aysel Yuğluk and Hasip Kaplan filed a criminal complaint against those who had ordered the preparation of the plan and those who had prepared it. While the complaint, which was filed with the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, stated that the action plan included accusations against the DTP, it also noted that 100 lawyers would be involved in the process if a case is launched.
The criminal complaint requests the prosecution not only of those who prepared the documents but those who were involved in the destruction of the documents. The situation has also raised the ire of many human rights organizations especially the Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (Mazlum-Der). Close to 10 criminal complaints have been filed against the plan by human rights organizations in different cites across Turkey, yet Parliament continues to remain silent, attracting criticism from many different directions.
The AK Party, the MHP and the DTP share the same views concerning the prosecution of those who prepared the action and plan and those who destroyed documents related to it. So why is Parliament not taking action? The AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman Bekir Bozdağ answered this question.
Speaking exclusively to Sunday’s Zaman, Bozdağ said they are waiting for the İstanbul and Ankara chief public prosecutor’s offices to conclude their investigations and added: “In order for the truth to be revealed, the law needs to function and the judiciary needs to reach a decision. We think it is unnecessary to set up a new commission to investigate the process when legal proceedings are in progress. What’s important is that the current investigation is conducted properly and that the law functions properly. If the process is conducted solidly, the truth will be revealed.”
This shows that the AK Party has developed a policy that is compatible with the decision Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ reached in a weekly meeting to wait for the probe to be concluded. The AK Party is more eager for the investigation Başbuğ started within the army. But if the investigation results in a fiasco similar to the one that happened when the document was first revealed in June, the AK Party seems likely to change its current policy.
Parliament can fulfill duties
But there are critical reasons underlying the AK Party’s decision to pursue a passive policy. In the past Parliament set up commissions to look into the Susurluk scandal and unsolved murder cases and fraud cases, and although the commission identified the crimes and the criminal-related institutions, it did not take the necessary action. Reports prepared by the inquiry commission are sent to the related institution after being presented to the speaker. But in some cases, such as unsolved murder cases, the report prepared by the commission is not even sent to the related institution. In other cases, original copies of the report are removed from state archives, which is what happened to the original report prepared by the commission to investigate the Susurluk scandal. In fact, some military personnel don’t even come to the commission to testify, as is the case with retired Gen. Veli Küçük, who was arrested in the Ergenekon case.
It is also known that although the commission set up after the AK Party came to power in 2002 to deal with cases involving fraud referred former Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz and eight state ministers to be tried in the Constitutional Court, all of these people were eventually acquitted due to statute of limitations or by putting other factors into play.
These unfortunate examples have discouraged the AK party from setting up a new inquiry commission on such an important issue. There is also the risk of these commissions turning into a political show. The AK Party wants the judiciary to reveal the truth and punish those responsible.
AK Party to wait for Başbuğ to do his job
The AK Party’s primary expectation is for Başbuğ to fulfill his duty. While Erdoğan has said several times that they will wait for Başbuğ to do his job, Bozdağ said: “Everyone, especially those who are in positions of responsibility, must assist officials in the legal and judicial process for the investigation to continue uninterrupted. This is necessary in order to prevent the army from being undermined and to clear up allegations. To end doubts everyone needs to support the judiciary according to their position.”
Bozdağ was not in favor of responding candidly to questions on what will happen if the legal process does not take place properly and if material facts are not revealed. But he did say: “If material facts are not revealed, if the legal process does not take place properly, if people do not assist in it taking place properly, if it encounters obstacles, public accusations will increase. This, in turn, will harm the highly esteemed army. To prevent this from happening, the demands of the judges and prosecutors should be met, and their work should be facilitated. Whichever personnel are needed to testify should be referred to the court, and everyone should help the law function properly.”
He also implicitly said that the investigation led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was already facing some obstacles and added: “It needs to be clarified whether the points mentioned in the informant’s letter are correct or false. For this reason, the person who is going to investigate the issue needs to be given the opportunity to utilize the authority granted by the Constitution.”
CHP first wants informant to be exposed
While the AK Party, MHP and DTP have displayed stances in favor of exposing the truth, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) wants the military officer who sent a letter to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office explaining the junta’s plans in the army and changed the course of the investigation, which had been suppressed in June, to come forward.
In fact, CHP leader Deniz Baykal called on the informant during his group meeting on Tuesday and said: “Come out. Come out so we can settle accounts,” revealing the stance his party has taken concerning the issue.
Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, CHP Deputy Chairman Cevdet Selvi said: “The issue is being debated by everyone in Turkey. It can also be discussed when the initiative is being discussed in Parliament. A commission could be set up, but the issue should gain more clarity through the justice system. There is a very serious aspect of it that needs to be investigated, but there is a benefit in waiting for the issue to gain more clarity through the judicial process.”
Bahçeli, who has reacted harshly towards those who prepared the action plans, reckons these kinds of actions serve the AK Party. While the MHP wants those responsible to definitely stand trial, it does not approve of Parliament’s silence.
“It is not right to set up a commission in Parliament when there is a judicial process under way. Besides, debating this unclear and ongoing issue in Parliament could harm the case and create tension amongst the public,” MHP deputy group chairman and deputy from Hatay Mehmet Şandır told Sunday’s Zaman.
The DTP’s policies regarding the action plan are more aggressive than those of other parties. The DTP not only wants Başbuğ to be suspended from his job for the sake of the investigation but also wants Parliament to intervene. Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, DTP deputy from Şırnak Hasip Kaplan said: “We want complete transparency in this issue. The government has responsibilities it needs to fulfill. If it was a civilian bureaucrat who had done this, he would have been suspended a long time ago. We are in favor of Parliament setting up a commission to investigate the issue and to find the criminals.”
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