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Generals meet govt leaders as tensions plague Turkey
Ankara (AFP) June 30, 2009 Turkish civilian leaders and top generals met Tuesday as tension simmered over an alleged military plan to discredit the Islamist-rooted government and moves in parliament to curb the army's powers. The meeting of the National Security Council (MGK), which lasted nearly eight hours, took place amid angry protests by the once-omnipotent Turkish army that it has become the target of a "growing and organised" smear campaign. President Abdullah Gul chaired the gathering, attended by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior ministers, chief of staff Ilker Basbug and four of his highest-ranking generals. The military, seen as the guardian of Turkey's secular system, has often clashed with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the moderate offshoot of a now-banned Islamist movement, on grounds the party is flouting secular principles. The latest tensions erupted when a purported army document outlining actions to discredit the AKP and the powerful brotherhood of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen was leaked to the media earlier this month. The army -- which has kept a low-profile in the past two years, often emphasising respect for democracy -- angrily rejected the paper as a forgery and urged a probe into who had "fabricated" it. But even before the dust had settled, the AKP rushed through parliament a bill curbing the powers of military courts in a pre-dawn session Friday, without any prior public debate. The amendments, which need Gul's approval to take effect, empowered civilian courts to try soldiers for attempts against the government. The tensions came atop an already controversial probe into an alleged plot to plunge Turkey into political chaos and pave the way for a coup against the AKP, in which dozens of suspects -- among them retired generals, journalists and academics -- have been arrested. A cryptic statement issued after the MGK meeting said members "expressed indignation with statements and publications aimed at tarnishing some state institutions" and warned that "such actions will not bring any good to the country." It was one of the council's longest meetings recently. The details of its discussions are usually withheld from the public. The Radikal newspaper Tuesday quoted a source close to the government as saying the tensions might be partially defused if Gul vetoed the military courts bill, which the AKP has defended as a move aimed at meeting EU democracy norms. Apart from its political implications, the bill is already criticised for being technically flawed and incompatible with constitutional articles. The powers of the Turkish army, which has unseated four governments since 1960, have already been curbed in recent years as part of reforms to boost Turkey's bid to join the European Union. But the pressure it has now come under is unprecedented. All political parties agree the army should stay out of politics to improve Turkish democracy. But AKP opponents charge that the government's real objective is to emaciate an institution seen as a bulwark against Islamist movements. The AKP is routinely accused of pursuing a secret agenda to undermine the secular system, a charge it rejects. Some media have openly accused the powerful and wealthy Gulen brotherhood -- believed to have become more influential in the government and police under AKP's rule -- of being behind the campaign against the military. Several suspects arrested over the alleged coup plot have said they never owned the documents implicating them in the affair, accusing the government-controlled police of having fabricated evidence. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Latin America unites behind ousted ZelayaCaracas (AFP) June 28, 2009 Latin American countries, many of which are no strangers to major political upheavals, unanimously condemned Sunday the Honduran army's ouster and exile of leftist President Manuel Zelaya. The drama centered on the president's bid to secure a second term, becoming the latest in a long list of Latin American leaders, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to seek constitutional changes ... read more |
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