Admirals’ declaration worked in favor of gov’t to divert public attention: Akşener
ANKARA
İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener on April 7 reiterated her criticism towards a declaration by 104 retired admirals, saying that the statement worked for the government to divert public attention from problems of the country.
“The government was freed of talking about the problems of the nation thanks to the coup literature,” Akşener said, addressing her party members at the parliament.
She stated that nobody was talking about the bill on security investigation for public employees, a proposal which was rejected by opposition votes initially at the parliament but then was brought again for a revote at the request of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“Again, the plight of tradesmen, farmers, and unemployed people is not being spoken. Our people are waiting for vaccination; the number of cases that peaked is not being discussed,” Akşener said.
She stressed that those who are concerned for Turkey must express duly. “Those who have served their country for years must act more responsibly,” Akşener said.
“We have always stood against tutelage; we will continue to do so. We have always stood against the uniforms of the tutelage, whether the suit or the navy-blue suit, and we will continue to do so,” she stated.
They took a tough stance at the time of Feb 28, 1997, known as the “post-modern” coup of Feb. 28, 1997, “while those who say they oppose tutelage today were hiding under the table on Feb. 28. In the last event we stood by the right and the truth,” she said.
On Feb. 28, 1997, Turkey’s National Security Council (NSC) held an emergency meeting that lasted almost nine hours; the longest-ever single session in the NSC’s history.
The meeting produced what would come to be known as the “February 28 Memorandum,” which contained a list of resolutions by the Turkish military taken in response to what it deemed “rising Islamist ideology.”
