Today’s Zaman – GENERAL STAFF COMMİTTİNG ERİME BY SHELTERİNG FUGİTİVE COUP SUS…
General Staff committing erime by
sheltering fugitive coup suspects
ŞULE KULU, İSTANBUL vestigation into an alleged coup plot has surren- Analysts say the General Staff, vvhich reported- person but then thatperson not turning himself in?
————————————— dered to authorities even though seven days have ly set a roadmap for the suspects to evade arrest Hovvever, when the case concerns military officers, The General Staff, vvhich has come under elapsed since a court issued vvarrants for the arrest and vvhich refuses to hand them över, is commit- the lavv is not being enforced,” retired military fire in the past by taking the side of suspect- of 102 retired and aetive duty military officers sus- ting a erime by taking the suspected criminals un- judge Ümit Kardaş told Today’s Zaman.
ed criminals in a number of ongoing investi- pected of being part of the Sledgehammer plot, in- der proteetion. According to reports that appeared in the gations against members of the military, has önce cluding retired Gen. Çetin Doğan, the former İst “We have a court decision in our hands, and it Turkish press on VVednesday, Chief of General again committed a erime by apparently vvorking to Army commander. Both the appeals of the sus- should be executed. The General Staff is supposed Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ calied the General Staff s leprevent the arrest of dozens of officers as part of the pects’ lavvyers against the vvarrants and their re- to do that, but it is committing a erime by protect- gal undersecretary, Gen. Hıfzı Çubuklu, on Friday Sledgehammer coup plot probe, according to jurists. quests for nevv judges in the case vvere rejected by ing the individuals in question, as it did in the past. to lay out a strategy to deal vvith the arrest vvarIn vvhat could be seen as defying the lavv, none the court on VVednesday on the grounds that there Can you imagine an indietment being accepted and rants. A decision to appeal the arrest vvarrants vvas save one of the suspects in the Sledgehammer in- vvas “strong evidence against the suspects.” a vvarrant being issued for the arrest of an ordinary made at the meeting. CONîinüedonpace 1 1
