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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 23 2012
Sledgehammer decision historic yet not sufficient, Turkey's minorities say
23 September 2012 / SEVGI AKARÇEÅ?ME, Ä°STANBUL
Members of minority groups in Turkey have applauded the sentences
handed down to suspects in the Sledgehammer coup trial, which
concluded on Friday, interpreting the Ä°stanbul court's decisions as
likely to reduce the prospects of a military coup in the country,
which will in turn help save the lives of minorities victimized
greatly by junta administrations.
Yet, they said Turkey needs more reforms to get rid of coup attempts.
In a landmark move, the Ä°stanbul 10th High Criminal Court, which heard
the Sledgehammer case, gave 20-year prison sentences to three retired
generals and 16-year sentences to 214 other suspects in the case over
charges of coup plotting.
Armenian Taraf columnist Markar Esayan defines the decision to convict
the Sledgehammer coup plot as `the beginning of a new era,' although
he does not believe that it symbolizes the end of military coups in
Turkey without further reforms. Esayan, Mihail Vasiliadis from the
Ä°stanbul-based Greek Apoyevmatini newspaper, Armenian author Hayko
BaÄ?dat and human rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz all agree that the
Sledgehammer case is critical in the problematic history of
civil-military relations in Turkey while pointing out the existing
problems of Turkish democracy as far as minorities are concerned.
Speaking to Today's Zaman, in consensus, they referred to the plans of
the junta within the Sledgehammer case to threaten and kill members of
Christian minorities in Turkey to create the impression in the West
that Christians were oppressed in Turkey by the `Islamist' Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) government. Esayan stated that the junta
had obvious plans against the minorities aimed to `complain about the
AK Party in Turkey to the West,' but the verdict in the case `proved
that justice is possible in Turkey.'
Drawing attention to the similarities between the Sledgehammer coup
plan and the military intervention of Sept. 12, 1980, Cengiz said,
`The verdict is very meaningful for both Turkey and its minorities as
they have always been the number one victims of military coups in
Turkey.' Cengiz added that the junta's plan to kill prominent
Christian minorities in Turkey was to give the impression that the
Islamists had done it to prepare the basis for a secular intervention.
`Minorities always suffered from military governments,' said
Vasiliadis, as he added his contentment with the relatively short
trial period. While noting that `minorities have always been a means
of politics and power struggles in Turkey,' Vasiliadis stated, `It is
pleasant to think that another military intervention will not take
place.'
Armenian activist and writer BaÄ?dat said, `I find the Sledgehammer
decision very positive, but insufficient,' while talking about the
unresolved parts of the Hrant Dink murder. `We have witnessed the
actions of the deep state [the plans mentioned in the Sledgehammer
case targeting minorities]. They had already implemented the Cage
plan. We are aware of this reality' as he denounced the arguments that
the Sledgehammer case was conducted based on fabricated documents. `It
is more difficult to kill innocent people to prepare the ground for a
military coup,' said Esayan. Similarly, BaÄ?dat said that the fact that
the junta plans, including Kafes (Cage) and Orak (Grass Hook), were
brought to the court `prevented more sensational murders of minorities
in Turkey.' He said that he wished that `the judicial process was a
more proper one so that we would know who is pro coup or democrat.'
Referring to the unresolved problems of minorities in Turkey, they all
called on the government for further reform. According to the
Sledgehammer Security Operation Plan exposed by the liberal Taraf
daily in 2010, a group within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a
plan to systematically incite chaos in society through violent acts
that would eventually lead to a military takeover. The junta planned
to detain and then arrest at least 200,000 individuals on charges of
reactionary activity in Ä°stanbul after the coup, according to the
Sledgehammer plan.
Coup planners also hoped to assassinate opponents of the planned coup
using professional gendarmes. To this end, they prepared sub-plans.
One of the plans, titled Tırpan (Scythe), would kill academics who
opposed the planned coup. Prominent Armenians would be murdered under
the Orak (Grass Hook) plan, right-wing figures under the Yumruk (Fist)
plan, left-wing figures under the Kürek (Spade) plan, liberals under
the Testere (Saw) plan, religious figures under the Döküm (Breakdown)
plan, civil society representatives under the Urgan (Rope) plan and
minority leaders would be killed under the Sakal (Beard) plan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sept 23 2012
Sledgehammer decision historic yet not sufficient, Turkey's minorities say
23 September 2012 / SEVGI AKARÇEÅ?ME, Ä°STANBUL
Members of minority groups in Turkey have applauded the sentences
handed down to suspects in the Sledgehammer coup trial, which
concluded on Friday, interpreting the Ä°stanbul court's decisions as
likely to reduce the prospects of a military coup in the country,
which will in turn help save the lives of minorities victimized
greatly by junta administrations.
Yet, they said Turkey needs more reforms to get rid of coup attempts.
In a landmark move, the Ä°stanbul 10th High Criminal Court, which heard
the Sledgehammer case, gave 20-year prison sentences to three retired
generals and 16-year sentences to 214 other suspects in the case over
charges of coup plotting.
Armenian Taraf columnist Markar Esayan defines the decision to convict
the Sledgehammer coup plot as `the beginning of a new era,' although
he does not believe that it symbolizes the end of military coups in
Turkey without further reforms. Esayan, Mihail Vasiliadis from the
Ä°stanbul-based Greek Apoyevmatini newspaper, Armenian author Hayko
BaÄ?dat and human rights lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz all agree that the
Sledgehammer case is critical in the problematic history of
civil-military relations in Turkey while pointing out the existing
problems of Turkish democracy as far as minorities are concerned.
Speaking to Today's Zaman, in consensus, they referred to the plans of
the junta within the Sledgehammer case to threaten and kill members of
Christian minorities in Turkey to create the impression in the West
that Christians were oppressed in Turkey by the `Islamist' Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) government. Esayan stated that the junta
had obvious plans against the minorities aimed to `complain about the
AK Party in Turkey to the West,' but the verdict in the case `proved
that justice is possible in Turkey.'
Drawing attention to the similarities between the Sledgehammer coup
plan and the military intervention of Sept. 12, 1980, Cengiz said,
`The verdict is very meaningful for both Turkey and its minorities as
they have always been the number one victims of military coups in
Turkey.' Cengiz added that the junta's plan to kill prominent
Christian minorities in Turkey was to give the impression that the
Islamists had done it to prepare the basis for a secular intervention.
`Minorities always suffered from military governments,' said
Vasiliadis, as he added his contentment with the relatively short
trial period. While noting that `minorities have always been a means
of politics and power struggles in Turkey,' Vasiliadis stated, `It is
pleasant to think that another military intervention will not take
place.'
Armenian activist and writer BaÄ?dat said, `I find the Sledgehammer
decision very positive, but insufficient,' while talking about the
unresolved parts of the Hrant Dink murder. `We have witnessed the
actions of the deep state [the plans mentioned in the Sledgehammer
case targeting minorities]. They had already implemented the Cage
plan. We are aware of this reality' as he denounced the arguments that
the Sledgehammer case was conducted based on fabricated documents. `It
is more difficult to kill innocent people to prepare the ground for a
military coup,' said Esayan. Similarly, BaÄ?dat said that the fact that
the junta plans, including Kafes (Cage) and Orak (Grass Hook), were
brought to the court `prevented more sensational murders of minorities
in Turkey.' He said that he wished that `the judicial process was a
more proper one so that we would know who is pro coup or democrat.'
Referring to the unresolved problems of minorities in Turkey, they all
called on the government for further reform. According to the
Sledgehammer Security Operation Plan exposed by the liberal Taraf
daily in 2010, a group within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a
plan to systematically incite chaos in society through violent acts
that would eventually lead to a military takeover. The junta planned
to detain and then arrest at least 200,000 individuals on charges of
reactionary activity in Ä°stanbul after the coup, according to the
Sledgehammer plan.
Coup planners also hoped to assassinate opponents of the planned coup
using professional gendarmes. To this end, they prepared sub-plans.
One of the plans, titled Tırpan (Scythe), would kill academics who
opposed the planned coup. Prominent Armenians would be murdered under
the Orak (Grass Hook) plan, right-wing figures under the Yumruk (Fist)
plan, left-wing figures under the Kürek (Spade) plan, liberals under
the Testere (Saw) plan, religious figures under the Döküm (Breakdown)
plan, civil society representatives under the Urgan (Rope) plan and
minority leaders would be killed under the Sakal (Beard) plan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress