Posted on 03/27/2012 12:04:37 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Former armed forces commander İlker Başbuğ stormed from an Istanbul courtroom on Tuesday and denounced his trial on coup plot accusations as an assault on the entire military leadership and a "black stain" on the country's history.
General Başbuğ's outburst on the second day of a terrorism trial was the most dramatic demonstration yet of tensions that have simmered between the armed forces and the prime minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, who has reined in their influence since winning power in 2002.
Başbuğ, who headed the military between 2008-2010, declared the trial a "comedy" and said he did not recognize the judges' authority over him. He demanded referral to the Supreme Court. …
Başbuğ is accused of being among the leaders of an alleged network, known as Ergenekon, behind plots to topple a government many in the military and elsewhere in the secularist establishment suspect of harboring a secret Islamist agenda. Erdoğan, whose AK party embraces nationalists and center-right elements as well as religious conservatives, denies his party has such ambitions. …
The military staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and pressed an Islamist-led government from power in 1997. Erdoğan has drawn on strong popular support, part born of economic success, to cut back that influence.
The generals, or "Pashas", have enjoyed a privileged place in society, the founder of modern secular Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, having emerged from the officer corps. Critics have argued they had occupied a place effectively above the law. …
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I would have to say that I liked Turkey under the Generals and that I fear Turkey under the Politicians.
It was the Military's duty to protect the modern Republic of Turkey from the Islamists. And yes the AK Party has helped the economy -- but they lied to the public that they would not impose Islamism on Turkey.
Ergenekon is suspected of planning bombings, assassinations and disinformation to stir panic and precipitate an army coup. Hundreds have been arrested in the investigation that critics accuse the government of using as part of a campaign to suppress any opposition.
"Ergenekon" I guess is Turkey's "vast right-wing conspiracy" except Erdogan had the active and retired military, the journalists, the professors, the men and women in the street arrested and imprisoned. Something that the Clintons did not have the guts to try -- will Obama try it?
Turkey patriots face a deadly Islamist government and growing Islamist establishment. We face a similar situation.
A radical government and a growing radical establishment of 1960s pukes and their issue. Arguably they are already the Establishment.
For the aged 1960s Marxist-Alinsky campus spoiled brats and their bratty ideological issue the Constitution and our "heritage of laws not men" are like restrictive parents.
In childhood many either defeated or never faced curbs on their behavior. The meek rebelled in adulthood.
Restrictions continue to be stressful for them -- unbearable. Nothing is too vile, too violent to defeat the restrictions of the Constitution and our "heritage of laws not men" on their desires and feeeeeeeeeelings.
Nearly as vile and violent as Islamism (political Islam, jihad, and sharia law).
LOL. Leave it to Reuters to obfuscate the obvious.
Islamofascist PM Erdogan:
- "The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers..."
- "Mr. Peres, you are older than me. And your voice is very loud. I know that it is because you feel guilty. You better know that I will not sound that loud. And when killing is the case, you know how to kill very well. I know how you killed the children on the beaches, I know how you shot them. Two ex-prime ministers of your country once told me important things. You have had such prime ministers who said, "When I enter Palestine on a tank, I feel [in a different way] happy." You have had PMs who said to me "I feel happy when I am on a tank while entering Palestine." And you give me those numbers. I would release their names, in case some of you might be curious of. I also condemn those who acclaim this cruelty, because I think it is a crime against humanity as well."
- "Those who do not want to take a side will be eliminated from the process"
- "Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb were not and never will be Jewish sites."
etc. etc.
Has it really? 'Spengler' disagrees and sees Turkey crashing hard, soon. Just look at those numbers!
Recall notice for the Turkish model
Excerpt: In fact, if you had invested in the Turkish model (that is, in the Turkish stock market) at the outbreak of the Arab revolts, you would have lost about half your money. If you leave your money in Turkey, you probably will lose the rest of it. Turkey is not a model. It is a bubble, and it is bursting, starting with the stock market and national currency.
And I was denounced as a Zionist plotter in the Turkish media. As a matter of record, I wish to state that I am shorting Turkey not for any political motivation, but only because the Turkish government economic policy is a clown show. I make a point, however, of contributing some of the profits to Zionist causes.
Thanks for the link and the update. When the AK Party won their first election about a decade ago they promised economic improvements and an end to corruption. They also promised the people that they would not impose Islamism on the Republic.
I think they delivered somewhat at least until after the second election a couple of years ago. Looks like Erdoğan felt free to impose more and more on the people and it's had its effect. A precursor for our own Obama's second term?
Erdoğan did well with relations with the EU, I thought. But I always believed that Erdoğan's efforts to woo the EU was aimed primarily at the Turkish military; to wit; the EU was a loud critic of military intervention and demanded an absolute end to the possibility of military intervention as a condition for membership. It helped the Islamists to get changes that I believe now deny the military any authority to act against the government on behalf of the secular Republic of Turkey.
As for the EU it is Lucy and Turkey is Charlie Brown and always will be that way.
What a turkey.
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