"Başbuğ Breached the Law Again and Meddled with Politics"

Taraf newspaper called itself a "certain newspaper" and referred to the Chief of General Staff, Gen. İlker Başbuğ, as "a certain General" in their recent headlines. The nation-wide daily accused Başbuğ of violating the law.

With this headline, Taraf reacted to the statements made by Başbuğ in the "Arena" television program hosted by journalist Uğur Dündar on Star TV on Monday night (5 June). Başbuğ had talked on topics such as "crouching" discussions between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Chair of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, military officers who are detained in the scope of the Ergenekon investigation, recent armed conflicts with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

Regarding the BDP deputies, Başbuğ said, "Either you resign as deputies or you go to the mountains", referring to the PKK camps in the rough mountain terrain of the south-east of the country. Taraf responded, "On behalf of which authority is he speaking!"

The newspaper furthermore asked Başbuğ whether he had any evidence proving the allegations of leakage from the police related to the "Action Plan against Reactionary Forces". The daily asked, "Do you have any evidence or are you just trying to shift the public attention to somewhere else?"

Harsh criticism from publications director Altan

Taraf newspaper reminded that related to some news he did not approve, Başbuğ had said, "They have no Turkish blood running in their veins". The daily asked, "This is racism, are you aware of that?"

The newspaper's publication director, Ahmet Altan, harshly criticized Başbuğ in an article entitled "He is talking..." in Wednesday's issue (7 June): "If you want to carry those stars in a respectable manner, you should learn to show respect to the ones who rewarded you with those stars. Do not pass the line of decency".

"While others are struggling to make the people come down from the mountains, the Chief of the General Staff takes efforts to direct the parliamentarians towards the mountains. A Chief of General Staff should not talk about parliamentarian party members in such an impolite and disrespectful manner. [...]"

Başbuğ: No Turkish blood running in their veins

Başbuğ also commented on people who supposed connections between the PKK and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), "I do not think that they have Turkish blood running in their veins". Drawing attention to north Iraq, he said, "We have reached the end of talking".

Demirtaş: Know your place and take the consequences

BDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş harshly criticized Başbuğ's statement who said, "They should either remain loyal to their vows or they should go to the mountains". Demirtaş replied, "The Chief of General Staff is not in the position to give us orders. He committed a crime and should be deposed from office". (EÖ/VK)