Speaker slams former Turkish president

ANKARA

Ex-president Süleyman Demirel met with members of Parliament’s Coup Inquiry Commission at his house on June 7. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek has rebuked former President Süleyman Demirel for urging Parliament’s Coup Inquiry Commission not to create new victims while probing unfair conduct in the past.
“Mr. Demirel is giving advice instead of giving information. Advice is also important, but we need information in this phase,” Çiçek told the private A-haber news channel.

Parliament’s Coup Inquiry Commission visited Demirel at his residence last week and interviewed him for four hours to hear about his experiences of and information about the military coups of 1971, 1980 and 1997.

Coup victim accused of collaboration

Demirel is strongly accused of collaborating with the army in its efforts to force Islamist Necmettin Erbakan’s government to step down in 1997 even though he was one of the victims of military coups in 1971 and 1980.

During the meeting, Demirel defended the Feb. 28, 1997, process and said that whatever was done at the time was within the boundaries of laws and Constitution.
He also told commission members to be fair to all sides, saying: “Today’s unfair treatment will be subjected to inquiry in the future as well. Your duty is not to create new victims; all should be solved within the rule of law.”