Başbuğ: Allegations are a "Comedy of Deficiencies"

Former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ said at the 58^th hearing of the Internet Memorandum trial, "I do not give any credit to this indictment; it is a comedy of deficiencies. I am surprised about those who call me the leader of a terrorist organization".

The case was heard before the Istanbul 13^th High Criminal Court on Tuesday (27 March). Başbuğ claimed that according to Article 148 of the Constitution the Supreme Court was the correct place for the prosecution. "Therefore, I think that this court is not in charge of prosecuting me. I am not going to present my defence and I am not going to answer any questions", he said.

"Don't they know that I abolished the Information Support Department?"

According to information published on the IlkerBasbug.com.tr website, the statements Başbuğ made at the Tuesday hearing can be summarized as follows:

"Nowhere in the world will you see a Commander of the Armed Forces being the leader of an armed terrorist organization at the same time".

"My commitment to democracy is obvious. Nevertheless, I am alleged of having attempted a coup d'état via the internet and with my speeches in order to serve certain purposes and in accordance with leading an alleged terrorist group".

"Do those who accuse me not know that not a single internet site was opened during my term as commander and that existing sites were closed by us?"

"Those who accuse me of directing psychological operations aimed at establishing the grounds for a coup - don't they know that during my first days at the General Staff Presidency I gave the order first to scale down and later on to abolish the Department of Information Support? Don't they know that I abolished two of the four battalions belonging to the department immediately and closed it down completely on 11 August 2009?"

"These allegations and accusations are unfounded. Trying to charge a person with such an indictment is just a comedy of deficiencies. Therefore, I do not give any credit to this indictment".

"If I will be personally prosecuted, that trial should be handled by the Supreme Court according to Article 148 of the Constitution".

"For all these reasons, I consider it as a severe injustice inflicted on the Turkish Armed Forces and on the position I held to be forced to defend myself before you. With this belief, I am not going to present my defence here today and I am not going to answer any questions".

Request for lack of jurisdiction rejected

The request of Başbuğ's lawyer İlkay Sezer for lack of jurisdiction and competence and a transfer of his client's file to the Supreme Court was dismissed.

The internet memorandum case was previously merged with the trial regarding the Action Plan against Reactionary Forces. It involves a total of 30 defendants, 16 of whom are detained including İlker Başbuğ, ret. General Hasan Iğsız, Vice Admirals Mehmet Otuzbiroğlu, İsmail Hakkı Pekin and Mehmet Eröz, Major General Hıfzı Çubuklu and ret. Colonel Dursun Çiçek. (EKN)