10 people detained over retired admirals’ ‘Montreux’ declaration

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish (1) (2) / Kurdish

As part of the investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the 103 retired admirals' declaration on the Montreux Convention, 10 suspects have been taken into custody.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), four suspects have also been sent written notifications summoning them to give their statements by going to the security directorate within three days.

Statement by the prosecutor's office

While the search and seizure proceedings at the houses of all suspects have been completed, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has released a written statement about the issue.

The office has announced that an ex officio investigation has been launched into the declaration on charge of "making an agreement to commit a crime against the security of the state and the Constitutional order" as per the Article 316/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

The Article 316/1 of the TCK says, "Where two or more persons make an agreement to commit any one of the offences listed in parts four and five of this chapter by using appropriate means, a penalty of imprisonment for a term of three to twelve years shall be imposed, depending upon the gravity of the offence."

According to the statement, "after the open identities and addresses of the people who prepared and took active part in the publication of the declaration and enabled other people to sign it were determined, 10 suspects have been detained, considering the offense charged and in order to prevent spoliation of evidence and to urgently identify other suspects, if any."

The statement of the prosecuto's office has also indicated that following the procedures of search and seizure at the houses of four suspects, they have not been detained, considering their ages; they have been summoned to depose at the security directorate within three days.

The names of detained persons are as follows: Ergun Mengi, Atilla Kezek, Alaettin Sevim, Ramazan Cem Gürdeniz, Nadir Hakan Eraydın, Bülent Olcay, Kadir Sağdıç, Türker Ertürk, Turgay Erdağ and Ali Sadi Ünsal.

The persons not detained due to their age are as follows: Engin Baykal, Cemil Şükrü Bozoğlu, Mustafa Özbey and Atilla Kıyat.

Detained by the counterrorism police officers, the retired admirals have been taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate in Vatan Avenue.

What happened?

103 retired admirals released a declaration on Sunday (April 4), saying, "The opening of the Montreux Convention to debate as part of Canal İstanbul and the authority of annulment of international treaties is met with concern." They also expressed their criticisms about a video allegedly showing an admiral in Islamic clothes together with members of a religious cult.

The declaration sparked harsh criticisms among the government officials, who accused them of implicitly threatening the government with a coup.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office also launched an ex-officio investigation yesterday with the aim of "identifying the people who released the declaration and those in connection with them."

Harsh criticism by government officials

Presidency's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun was the first one to react to the declaration of the retired admirals.

"A few admirals came together and wrote a 'declaration.' And the fifth column elements got excited. Sit the hell down. That Turkey is now in the past!" he wrote on Twitter. "This nation showed friends and enemies on July 15 how it trampled those who desired a coup. Know your place!"

Noting that the declaration was released by 103 people and 103 days before July 15, the anniversary of the coup attempt, Altun said, "Who are you? How can you wag your finger at the legitimate representatives of the national will?" He also wrote, "Our nation has the last say on this land ... We are on duty at the disposal of our nation."

Parliamentary Speaker Şentop tweeted, "Expressing an opinion and is on thing, preparing a declaration resembling a coup is another."

AKP Deputy Chair Numan Kurtulmuş wrote, "That era is in the past! Know your place! Even if you are not comfortable with that, understand it: This nation has protected the homeland, the blue homeland, democracy and the national will by paying a price and it will protect it."

How did the opposition respond?

While some politicians from the opposition criticized the government for perceiving the declaration as a "coup" attempt, Future Party Chair Ahmet Davutoğlu has expressed his support for the government.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has also said on social media, "Our stance in the face of putschist attitudes and approaches targeting democracy and freedoms has always been clear."

CLICK - Retired admirals' midnight declaration on Montreux Convention triggers 'coup' debate

(EMK/SD)