Columnists Call for Truth to Emerge

There have been allegations, brought up by the daily Taraf newspaper, that plans against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the religious movement led by Fethullah Gülen, were made at the General Staff.

Documents confiscated during the Ergenekon investigation are said to contain plans to discredit both the party and the religious movement and to link them to terrorist activities.

The General Staff has said so far that there is no evidence the document was produced in any of its divisions.

The daily Taraf, Milliyet, Hürriyet and Sabah newspapers have called for a transparent investigation into the allegations.

Taraf:

Ahmet Altan, co-founder and columnist of the newspaper, said, "We cannot solve this issue by issuing a broadcasting and publishing ban. If the General Staff is saying, 'We didn't do it', then they should find whoever did and send them to trial before the people."

Murat Belge said that the document that had emerged was the latest proof of the "power, permanence and recklessness of the passion to dominate."

Milliyet:

Melih Aşık wrote: "The Taraf newspaper, which has made a war with the Turkish Armed Forces its mission, has committed a crime...However, as expected, arrangements that suit the government, even if they are illegal, have been considered legitimate for quite some time. Illegalities and media pollution have created great confusion and insecurity among citizens. No one knows what to believe. This is the worst part of it."

Taha Akyol wrote: "It is impossible to consider something like this in a democratic state ruled by law; soldiers with the ideology of protecting the republic and the country would damage the republic, the country and also the army greatly by getting involved in something like this."

Fikret Bila: "The fact that the military prosecution started an investigation the day the news broke shows that the General Staff trusts itself...Should there be any connection found between this document and military personnel, no one needs to doubt that Chief of General Staff Başbuğ will do what is necessary. Of course, the civilian prosecution and institutions need to show the same solicitude."

Sabah:

Umur Talu: "The General Staff has not found the weapons that were discovered in buried caches in its inventory...It has not considered the latest document an 'original'...These are strange issues..."

Nazlı Ilıcak: "...the former Chief of Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt was able to say, 'I wrote the cyber memorandum of 27 April...Therefore, despite all the statements (of denial) made about the latest document, I have serious doubts..."

Hürriyet:

Ertuğrul Özkök: "The General Staff and military prosecution must complete this investigation quickly and show all documents with an explanation that satsifies the public. The public must clearly learn this: Was it a military coup plan or a civilian coup plan?"

Cumhuriyet:

Hikmet Çekinkaya: "Is the document fake or real? The Turkish Armed Forces will conduct a criminal investigation into the matter...If the document turns out to be real, those responsible will be delivered to the judiciary...If the document turns out to be fake, ...the Turkish Armed Forces will watch while it is investigated who prepared it and why. In the name of democracy and the rule of law!" (EÖ/AG)