Punishing Nonagenarians

The legacy of Kamal Ataturk in transforming Turkey from a dysfunctional Islamic state to a quasi-European-linked country straddling Islam and looking to the democratic West for economic trade and security has certainly been undone. On the wave of Islamist regeneration, the Justice and Development Party of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan came into office portraying itself as so wedded to law and order, to Islamic precepts of honour and religious fervour that they would ensure corruption would be weeded out of government and never be permitted a return.

The first election of the AKP was such a resounding success that the reputation of the party and its parliamentarians, and particularly Recep Tayyip Erdogan soared and its approval rating among Turks ensured a successful return with a majority vote to govern as it would in the very best interests of Turkey and its people. That was, of course, before it became evident that Mr. Erdogan indulged his extremely bad temper and penchant for tantrums both at home and abroad, should any question arise over the wisdom of his choices of governance.

And his lack of wisdom in decision making did cause the more independent and progressive-minded among the population to raise questions about his ultimate agenda for Turkey and his party and their style of overturning the status quo that had served Turkey so well for so long, swivelling from traditional international cooperation toward a more Islamocentric regional voice of friendship, renewing old relationships, turning toward Egypt, Syria and Iran to consolidate its place in the region.

And then the electorate discovered other issues that rippled beneath the autocratic rule of their Prime Minister, his alliances, orientation and above all, the corruption that ran deep within his administration, touching him personally and in the process enriching his family with ill gotten gains. These revelations served to cast suspicion on his gutting the military, charging them with attempts to remove his party and his rule from office; admittedly a role the Turkish military had taken upon itself traditionally in upholding the Kamalist ideal and seriously believing it was their selflessly dedicated duty for the well-being of the country.

Turkey is now distinguishing itself in showcasing a trial at formally and forcefully putting an end to military interference in Turkish politics as a court convicted the only two surviving leaders of the 1980 military coup -- of crimes against the state, sentencing them to life imprisonment. Life imprisonment no less for 97-year-old Kenan Evren, once the military chief of staff leading the takeover who then served as president until 1989. Along with the former air force chief, 89-year-old Tahsin Sahinkaya. Their punishment of life imprisonment is indeed severe, though what is left of their lives at their advanced ages bespeaks Mr. Erdogan's twisted sense of righteously unwholesome vengeance.

An attitude well recognized by those among the judiciary that he removed and had arrested, along with hundreds of police and military after the revelations erupted controversially of his corruption.

On the other hand, Turkey's highest court has ruled in favour of 230 military officers accused in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) coup plot case, who had appealed their conviction of charges of attempting to topple the government of Mr. Erdogan in 2003. Their rights to a fair defence were violated, according to the court ruling.

"Believe me, I was very delighted when I heard the ruling. Is it possible not to go? [To testify if summoned by the local courts during the retrial process]. No matter who you are, you are obliged to do so when you are summoned. Otherwise, they will forcefully take you. However, you should know that I go with pleasure when I receive the summons."
"I want to underline once more that I'm very delighted by the Constitutional Court's ruling. I'm pleased that injustice has been eliminated. I have nothing more to say."
General Hilmi Ozkok, former chief of the Turkish General Staff, retired

This, of an Istanbul's court determination that a seminar organized by the 1st Army Commander leadership in 2003 was a coup plot, a determination approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals in 2013. In the present ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeals ordered a retrial for 88 convicted suspects, at the same time approving the convictions of 237 suspects in the case. General Ozkok had served as chief of the General Staff through 2002 and 2006.

Relatives of the Balyoz suspects, who are expected to be released, celebrate the Constitutional Court’s delivered a landmark ruling, which stated that the rights of a majority of convicted suspects in the coup plot case were violated.  Hurriyet News

Military commanders had been accused of attempts to destabilize Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AKP government after the 2002 elections, in hopes of creating a series of international and national crises to pave the way for a military takeover. It remains to be seen whether police, the military and the judiciary have been completely cowed by Mr. Erdogan's vengeful attacks against them, to eventually enable a proper investigation with a view to amassing sufficient evidence to bring him and his political cronies to a court of law and to serve out a punishment all their own, for gross corruption.