‘Montreux declaration’: House raids on 6 retired admirals, 1 retired general

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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has summoned 6 retired admirals and 1 retired general to give their statements as part of the investigation launched into the declaration on Montreux Convention signed by 104 retired admirals and released at the midnight of April 3.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), written notifications have been sent to 6 retired admirals and 1 retired general in İstanbul, Muğla, Antalya and Ankara as part of the investigation.

The houses of the retired admirals and the retired general have been searched and their digital materials have been seized.

No house arrest, but electronic bracelet

An investigation was launched against 14 people over the declaration of the retired admirals. While 10 admirals were detained and 4 were summoned to depose; they have all been released on probation.

As reported by Cumhuriyet, electronic bracelets have been placed on Atilla Kezek, Ergun Mengi and Turgay Erdağ, three of the released retired admirals. The others have also been informed about the issue.

When the retired admirals were released, a judicial control measure of "not leaving the province" was imposed on them.

Ertürk's attorney Özgün Şimşek has noted that electronic bracelets have been imposed on people only in the event of house arrest up until now, adding that these instruments have not been used for people who have been banned from leaving their provinces of residence.

"In this way, they will follow where the retired admirals go within the province hour by hour. They will be able to block and report their social lives within the city in a sense," the attorney has said, adding, "This is a purely administrative-political decision of the Supervised Release Directorate, which acts according to the political power holders."

Speaking to daily Cumhuriyet about the issue, Kezek has also said, "I am 65 years old. I actively served for the state for 37 years. They have placed a bracelet on us in return. I am just really sorry."

Erdoğan: I am the commander-in-chief

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with young people and answered their questions at the "Library Talks" held at the Presidency's Library.

Erdoğan answered a series of questions at the talks on April 14 and said the following about the declaration and the retired admirals:

"It does not matter if a soldier is retired or unretired. A soldier is a soldier. As president, I am now the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. How could you, as 104 retired admirals, go so far as to make a statement like that? This is not about your freedom.

"In fact, there are those among you who have already made it a habit. If you are interested in this so much, then you should enter politics. But of course, as the commander-in-chief, president, and a person responsible for ensuring the unity, solidarity, and well-being of my country, I can never tolerate the servicing of a text like this coordinated by 104 people sharing the same mentality. The judiciary will handle the rest of the process."

What happened?

At midnight on April 3, some 103 retired admirals released a declaration concerning the Montreux Convention, the international treaty regulating the status of Turkey's Straits. "The opening of the Montreux Convention to debate as part of Canal İstanbul and the authority of the annulment of international treaties is met with concern," said the joint declaration.

The declaration also mentioned leaked photos showing rear admiral Mehmet Sarı in Islamic clothes in a home together with the members of who are said to be members of a pro-government religious cult.

The retired officers said the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should maintain the Constitution's unchangeable values and the "modern path" drawn by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic.

On April 5, Ergun Mengi, Atilla Kezek, Alaettin Sevim, Ramazan Cem Gürdeniz, Nadir Hakan Eraydın, Bülent Olcay, Kadir Sağdıç, Türker Ertürk, Turgay Erdağ and Ali Sadi Ünsal were taken into custody. Engin Baykal, Cemil Şükrü Bozoğlu, Mustafa Özbey and Atilla Kıyat were also summoned to depose at the security directorate. The detention period of 10 admirals was extended for four days on April 8. Summoned to give their statements, four admirals also went to the Ankara Security Directorate to depose.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the judgeship has ruled that 13 retired admirals shall be released with the judicial control measure of "not leaving their residential areas."

Giving a ruling on 13 retired admirals based on "an examination on the file," the judgeship ruled that retired admiral Ergun Mengi, who was the person who prepared the declaration according to the statements taken at the prosecutor's office and for whom a request for arrest was made, should be taken separately. With his statement taken, retired admiral Ergun Mengi has been released with an intercity and international travel ban.

A week before the Montreux declaration of the retired admirals was released, 126 retired diplomats also released a statement, saying, "It will lead to our loss of our absolute sovereignty over the Marmara Sea. Canal İstanbul project must be abandoned."

96 parliamentarians also supported the joint statement. (AS/SD)