Coup panel to hear former Gen Büyükanıt

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Gen. Büyükanıt may shed light on his secret meet with the PM. DHA photo

Parliament’s Coups and Military Memorandums Commission has invited ex-Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt to speak on Nov. 8, during which the ex-top soldier is expected to shed light on the 2007 e-memorandum.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a closed-door meeting with Büyükanıt at the historical Dolmabahçe Palace just seven days after the e-memorandum, in which the Turkish military threatened to step in to protect Turkey’s secular system.

Ironically, the commission is expected to listen to Büyükanıt at Dolmabahçe Palace in İstanbul.
 
Members of the parliamentary panel investigating past coups actually agreed to invite Büyükanıt back in early October, but the precise date was not set until Nov. 2.

Commission representatives from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have requested that the commission also invite Erdoğan, particularly to discuss the much-speculated Dolmabahçe meeting, but commission chair Nimet Baş said Nov. 1 that no decision had been made to invite the premier.

In addition to CHP, members from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are also keen to invite Erdoğan. During an interview earlier this year, Erdoğan said he would respond positively if he receives such an invitation.

When asked about the Dolmabahçe meeting at the time, Erdoğan said he and Büyükanıt promised to each other not to disclose the content of the meeting.