WHAT A REPUBLIC DAY
Yusuf Kanli

Hurriyet
Oct 28 2009
Turkey

On Thursday, Turkey marks the 86th anniversary of the proclamation
of the Turkish Republic, described by its founding father, Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, as his greatest achievement.

At this 86th anniversary of Ataturk’s great achievement, however,
things have become rather difficult for people devoted to the ideal
of a modern, democratic, secular republic adhering to the supremacy
of law.

Political Islam is marching to complete a transformation of secular
Turkey into a peculiar "Islamist democracy," whatever that might
be, based on testimony of a lunatic now living in Canada and the
testimonies of some "secret witnesses." Weapons are found here and
there, giving the impression that they were planted very recently
to fit a grotesque plot to place behind bars some leading government
critics and prominent intellectuals, writers and journalists staunchly
supporting the "great achievement." Information is collected or
concocted through illegal, as well as court-ordered, phone wiretapping
and totally illegal circumstantial eavesdropping and through gross
violation of the law on the procedures of trial. Indictments thousands
of pages long, resembling thriller novels rather than legal documents,
are bringing charges against people. With all this, the country is
turned into an empire of fear.

As is said in colloquial Turkish, footprints of horses and mutts are
mixed up. What is the truth? What is the plot? It appears that the
country is faced with an incredible scenario vilifying whatever is
sacred or sacrosanct to the "greatest achievement."

The government has been engaging in efforts to create openings. The
Armenian opening, which indeed was a giant step in the right direction,
has not resolved the problems with Armenia so far, but has managed
to plunge Turkey’s relations with Azerbaijan into an unprecedented
crisis. However, the Kurdish or democratic opening, also known as
the brotherhood and tranquility project, came to an abrupt halt
when the return of some unrepentant yet "innocent terrorists" was
turned into a "victory celebration" by supporters of the separatist
Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The prime minister’s announcement
that the return of the second group of "innocent terrorists" had
been postponed because of the exploitation of the first group’s
return by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, was,
on the other hand, a confession as well that there was some sort of
a negotiation at some level (probably through intelligence agents)
between the government and the terrorist group.

As the Kurdish initiative temporarily landed on the rocks, all of a
sudden news broke out that the prosecutors probing the Ergenekon coup
plot had received through the mail the "original" copy of a "struggle
against fundamentalism" plan outlining an alleged military plot to
finish off the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and
the Islamist Fethullah Gulen brotherhood organization. Furthermore,
reports underscored that the plan was indeed not just a trivial
photocopy but a "document" that the Institution of Forensic Medicine
reportedly verified was signed by a colonel serving in the office of
the Chief of General Staff.

Neither the Institution of Forensic Medicine nor the prosecutors
probing the alleged Ergenekon gang have thus far made any official
disclosure on the issue, neither confirming nor refuting the reports.

The military prosecutor, however, has considered those reports
sufficient to launch a fresh probe into the alleged plan and a second
probe into how it was leaked out of the garrison. Therefore, it might
not be wrong perhaps to assume that there was indeed such a grave
junta formation within the military.

But did not the top commander of the country condemn the document as a
"piece of paper" months ago? Was he trying to deceive the nation in
saying so? If that was the case, there is a very serious situation. If
he was unaware of the existence of such a plan, then we have even a
more serious situation, as that would mean we have a top commander
unaware of what is going in his own office.

There is complete confusion. The top general must come up with some
clear explanation, and should perhaps undertake whatever is required
to prevent further erosion of the prestige of the military. But the
timing of the posting of the original plan and an accompanying plan
implicating former Chief of General Staff Gen. Yalar Buyukanıt in
some coup efforts was interesting as well. Is there a very successful
scriptwriter behind this?

All in all, I am in no mood to celebrate the Republic’s anniversary.