Minutes of Feb 28 meeting revealed

ANKARA

The minutes of the Feb. 28, 1997, National Security Council (MGK) meeting, which was named the “post-modern” coup, were revealed today.

Two judges appointed by the Ankara 13th High Criminal Court have begun examinations of the minutes belonging to the Feb. 28 case, which looked into the military intervention process that forced the late ex-prime minister Necmettin Erbakan to resign. 

The minutes begin by saying the council had reviewed the “subversive activities, remarks, threats and dangers that were created,” in the meeting.

In the second part, it summarizes the points “of the consensus that was reached.” 

“The groups aiming to establish an Islamic republic based on Sharia law constitute a multi-dimensional threat to the secular and social state of law, as defined by the Constitution,” it said, adding that not keeping track of antiquated practices would conflict with the rule of law principle.

The items agreed upon during that meeting, which were actually recommendations and warnings that were then expressed to the then Erbakan-led government, were placed in the third section of the minutes. 

Turkey’s then omnipotent military imposed a series of tough rulings on the then-prime minister Erbakan, mainly aimed at curbing religious schools and Islamic education in the face of what was perceived at the time as a growing threat to Turkey’s secular system. 

Erbakan had refused to sign the consensus agreed to, unless its tone was softened, which deepened the row.