COUP ALLEGATIONS PUT RETIRED GENERAL IN JAIL
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=coup-allegations-put-retired-general-in-jail-2011-08-10
Aug 10, 2011
Turkey
Retired Gen. Hasan Igs覺z, former commander of the First Army and the
former deputy chief of General Staff, was arrested Wednesday as part
of an ongoing investigation into alleged propaganda websites.
Retired Gen Hasan Igs覺z is a suspect in an alleged coup case. Hurriyet
photo
Retired Gen. Hasan Igs覺z is a suspect in a probe into the "Internet
Memorandum," an alleged document by the General Staff about setting up
42 Internet sites to distribute propaganda against the ruling Justice
and Development Party, or AKP, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party,
or PKK, and Greeks and Armenians. The retired general arrived with
his lawyer at Istanbul's Be癬_ikta癬_ Courthouse on Wednesday morning
after being called by the police the previous day. Igs覺z did not
speak during the hearing and was defended by his lawyer, Orhan Onder.
After the charges against Igs覺z were read in the session, Onder
said the websites were active for 10 years and that fact was admitted
by the General Staff. "However, my client and other people who have
signatures on the document are asked to pay the price," Onder said.
"Igs覺z spent 50 years as a military officer and accusing him of a
terror-related crime is just meaningless."
Igs覺z was the second suspect to be arrested among a total of 14
people whom the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on Monday ordered
to appear before the court.
The 14 suspects include Gen. Nusret Ta癬_deler, the former head of
the Aegean forces who was appointed as head of the army's educational
command during the recent Supreme Military Council, or YA癬^, and
襤smail Hakk覺 Pekin, the intelligence chief of the General Staff.
The court also ruled that the Internet Memorandum case be merged with
the Action Plan for the Fight against Fundamentalism case. This plan
allegedly includes strategies to end both AKP rule and the activities
of the Fethullah Gulen community, a religious group believed to have
links to the government.
Onder said the websites were prepared within the normal command
structure, with the knowledge of the top commander.
"It is not clear what material was used on these websites, and
the charges are too heavy. If the content of the websites had been
included in the indictment, the charges could have been misconduct
or defamation of the government," he said.
After Onder made his defense, the court decided to arrest Igs覺z.
Eight active-duty generals who are also suspects in the same
investigation are expected to appear before the court later this week.
Of the Turkish military's approximately 300 active-duty generals,
more than 40 are under arrest on charges of plotting to overthrow
the government.
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=coup-allegations-put-retired-general-in-jail-2011-08-10
Aug 10, 2011
Turkey
Retired Gen. Hasan Igs覺z, former commander of the First Army and the
former deputy chief of General Staff, was arrested Wednesday as part
of an ongoing investigation into alleged propaganda websites.
Retired Gen Hasan Igs覺z is a suspect in an alleged coup case. Hurriyet
photo
Retired Gen. Hasan Igs覺z is a suspect in a probe into the "Internet
Memorandum," an alleged document by the General Staff about setting up
42 Internet sites to distribute propaganda against the ruling Justice
and Development Party, or AKP, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party,
or PKK, and Greeks and Armenians. The retired general arrived with
his lawyer at Istanbul's Be癬_ikta癬_ Courthouse on Wednesday morning
after being called by the police the previous day. Igs覺z did not
speak during the hearing and was defended by his lawyer, Orhan Onder.
After the charges against Igs覺z were read in the session, Onder
said the websites were active for 10 years and that fact was admitted
by the General Staff. "However, my client and other people who have
signatures on the document are asked to pay the price," Onder said.
"Igs覺z spent 50 years as a military officer and accusing him of a
terror-related crime is just meaningless."
Igs覺z was the second suspect to be arrested among a total of 14
people whom the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on Monday ordered
to appear before the court.
The 14 suspects include Gen. Nusret Ta癬_deler, the former head of
the Aegean forces who was appointed as head of the army's educational
command during the recent Supreme Military Council, or YA癬^, and
襤smail Hakk覺 Pekin, the intelligence chief of the General Staff.
The court also ruled that the Internet Memorandum case be merged with
the Action Plan for the Fight against Fundamentalism case. This plan
allegedly includes strategies to end both AKP rule and the activities
of the Fethullah Gulen community, a religious group believed to have
links to the government.
Onder said the websites were prepared within the normal command
structure, with the knowledge of the top commander.
"It is not clear what material was used on these websites, and
the charges are too heavy. If the content of the websites had been
included in the indictment, the charges could have been misconduct
or defamation of the government," he said.
After Onder made his defense, the court decided to arrest Igs覺z.
Eight active-duty generals who are also suspects in the same
investigation are expected to appear before the court later this week.
Of the Turkish military's approximately 300 active-duty generals,
more than 40 are under arrest on charges of plotting to overthrow
the government.