AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik announced that he would file a criminal complaint against former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ.
Çelik held a press conference today and, regarding Başbuğ’s statements, said, “Tomorrow, our colleagues will file a criminal complaint. We do not view this as a trivial matter, nor do we view it as something that can be brushed aside.”.
Responding to journalists“ question, ”The President had asked lawmakers to file a lawsuit; has any lawmaker actually filed one?“ Çelik said, ‘Individuals cannot, after retiring, spout certain ideas that cannot be explained in any way by a democratic mindset or common sense, and then hide behind the office by saying, ’I served as Chief of the General Staff,”” he said.
Stating that the statement made by Başbuğ constituted an attack on the legislative will of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and on the supreme authority granted immunity under Article 83 of the Constitution, Çelik said, ’No one can label members of the TBMM as affiliated with the Fetullah Terrorist Organization simply because of a law they introduced. Therefore, our colleagues will respond to this with a strong rebuttal,“ he said.
Çelik: ‘There will be consequences within the legal and political frameworks’
While some defend this kind of approach, noting that they use phrases like “They were victimized by FETÖ” or “They had said these things before,” Çelik continued, “Now, if a person has been victimized by a certain coup attempt, that does not mean everything they say is off-limits. A person who has been a victim of one form of guardianship should not speak in a way that encourages or emboldened other forms of guardianship,” he continued.
Just because someone has been a victim of a particular coup attempt does not mean that everything they say is off-limits
Ömer Çelik
Çelik stated, “A person who has been victimized by a coup attempt or by an organization that has attempted a coup must not encourage or promote other forms of authoritarian rule while opposing the authoritarianism that those groups represent. Later on, when you speak out, you will hear the truth in response.”.
In his statement, Çelik said the following: “Of course, an approach that seeks to target our colleagues who signed that legislation—by claiming that ‘someone exploited it or did not’—in the wake of a legal regulation that raises democratic standards will have consequences both within the legal framework and the political framework.”
CHP’s Özel: ‘We’ll defend Başbuğ again in the case you file’
Özgür Özel, Deputy Group Leader of the Republican People’s Party, stated at a press conference held at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the law that paved the way for military personnel to be tried in civilian courts: “The politicians who introduced the bill on June 26, 2009, should be investigated. If we say that FETÖ has no political wing, that would be a denial of reality.’ He also commented on President Erdoğan’s statement: ”As members of parliament, you should all file lawsuits. Attempting to cast a shadow of FETÖ over the Assembly is a disrespect to the Assembly.“.
Özel commented on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s request that lawmakers file a lawsuit against former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ, saying, “You’re still at the same historical juncture. While there are so many victims like Başbuğ in Balyoz, Ergenekon, and military espionage cases, if you’re having a lawsuit filed against Başbuğ—who spoke the truth and has been owed 780 days by you—then we’re still his lawyers. CHP members, our Party Leader will once again defend Başbuğ in the lawsuit you intend to file.”.
What did Başbuğ say?
Former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ stated during a television program he appeared on last week, “To say that FETÖ has no political wing would be to deny the truth. This must be addressed by the judiciary, and political will must be applied. On June 26, 2009, the laws were brought to the agenda as an omnibus bill. This was a legislative proposal concerning the Turkish Armed Forces. This law was passed at midnight on the night of June 25–26. No one knew about this law; we only found out about it during a meeting on the morning of June 26, 2009.’.
Under the proposed bill, military personnel will be tried in special courts for crimes committed on military premises. This is, first of all, unconstitutional. This is all for one person: Dursun Çiçek. This incident was portrayed in the media as a ‘plan to destroy the AK Party and the movement.’ ”Civilian individuals are never tried in military facilities; they are tried in special courts… Who drafted this bill? This is entirely related to FETÖ—it should be investigated." He had used these words.