Former Chief-of-Staff Başbuğ says a play was performed in coup plot cases

Eyüp Serbest ISTANBUL

Former Chief-of-Staff İlker Başbuğ. AA Photo

Former Chief-of-Staff İlker Başbuğ, who was convicted of “attempting to overthrow the government” in the Ergenekon coup plot case and sentenced to life imprisonment, said there was an organized system that had “performed a play” with the Ergenekon, Balyoz (Sledgehammer) and Oda TV coup plot cases, as well as the match-fixing case against Fenerbahçe football club, and that he had warned the then-Prime Minister that the plot against the soldiers could be set up against the government too.

“A plot has been performed. There were actors who performed this plot and who supported it. They should be found. I believe I have done my duty. I do not do this on behalf of my friends; everyone can go for themselves,” Başbuğ said in an interview with CNNTürk on Dec. 29, referring to his recent application to the prosecutor’s office. On Dec. 29, Başbuğ filed a complaint to the prosecutor’s office against the Ergenekon coup plot case.

“I realized that all the court processes were similar. Almost the same scenarios were played. Someone had written a scenario and played it. There was a director who filmed it. We were the actors, and there was an audience. Who was it?” asked Başbuğ.

The retired general also said that he had warned then-prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of an organized structure which prepared these coup plot cases.

“I told the then-prime minister in those days that ‘those who have targeted us could one day target you too.’ I wish they would have listened to us more in those days,” said Başbuğ.

Başbuğ said the Oda TV case and the Fenerbahçe case were similar to the coup plot cases, and that they were also planned.

“I am interested in the Oda TV case and Fenerbahçe’s match-fixing case as much as I am interested in the Ergenekon and Balyoz cases. These cases are not involved in my complaint, but they are part of my opinions,” he said.

The Oda TV case began after law enforcement officials conducted a search of the online news portal’s offices in February 2011, as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.