Main opposition objects to coup panel with new report

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has responded in a 70-page report to the parliament’s coup inquiry commission’s accusations that the party and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) were in some form of agreement, daily Cumhuriyet reported on July 20. 

The CHP report included pictures and footages of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan together with Fethullah Gülen, the U.S-based Islamic preacher who is accused of leading last year’s coup attempt, as well as interviews and press videos that show the relationship between the AKP executives and the latter, the daily said.  

Such material belongs to before the end of year 2013, when the Gülenists launched a campaign against the government, including illegal wiretappings. 

The report came after the parliamentary commission, established to investigate the attempted takeover, concluded its final report on July 12. Different from the draft report issued in May, a section was added to the final report under the “politics” section, which included claims that the CHP was working with the same motive as FETÖ. 

‘Changes after march’

“The main opposition’s attitudes and behaviors that would serve the political aspirations of FETÖ have had an encouraging impact on FETÖ in the process leading up to the July 15 coup,” the report had said.

The CHP then sent an application to Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman, saying that such smears against the party should be removed from the coup commission’s report or for an answer to be provided. Following correspondences between Kahraman’s office and the investigation commission, the CHP was given two days to prepare its answer regarding the allegations. 

CHP lawmaker Zeynel Emre reportedly held a press meeting regarding the incident on July 19 in parliament, saying: “The draft report [of the coup commission] was sent before the ‘justice march,’ whereas the finalized version of the report was presented to the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office right after the march was over. When looked at it from this perspective, the additions made are a manifestation of discomfort with a collective march embracing universal values, which was initiated by CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The government tried to condemn the strengthening of the CHP by adding accusations against Kılıçdaroğlu to the report.” 

“July 15 is used as a blessing [by the AKP] to disguise its cooperation, companionship, connivance [with FETÖ] and to paralyze the opposition,” Emre said.