Turkish General Staff Rejects Reports of Alleged Military Coup Preparations
19:29 31.03.2016(updated 19:42 31.03.2016)
The Turkish army on Thursday rejected media speculation about a possible military coup in the country, taking legal action against those responsible for spreading such rumors.
ANKARA (Sputnik) – Several Turkish media outlets have published reports of an alleged planned military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in recent days. Some reports pointed to political-exile Fethullah Gulen, a former imam and founder of the influential Gulen movement, as the possible leader of the coup.
"Discipline and unconditional subordination to command is of great importance to the Turkish Armed Forces. Any illegal actions unsanctioned by the command are impossible. Turkey's General Staff once again expresses its commitment to democracy and the country's Constitution. Such accusations are groundless, and those spreading them have been taken to court. They are demoralizing our service personnel," the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
Erdogan is currently on a visit to the United States, where a number of world leaders are expected to gather for the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS), due to run from March 31 to April 1.
The Turkish army has carried out two coups since the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1922. In 1960, the Democrat Party's government was overthrown by a group of officers, while in 1980, a military coup resulted in the armed forces-led National Security Council taking power for three years. In 2012, hundreds of people were implicated in the Sledgehammer coup plan. All of the suspects have since been acquitted.
© Sputnik
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
