Turkish Armed Forces says it does not want to be involved in political debates

ISTANBUL

DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin Sönmez

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has released a statement, saying the army does not want to be involved in any political arguments.

The statement was reportedly released on the TSK’s official website today following some media comments about the army in pieces reporting on an ongoing investigation case occupying Turkey’s agenda these days.

One of Prime Minister Erdoğan's advisers, Yalçın Akdoğan, raised the possibility in a regular column published in daily Star that the corruption scandal may be a plot to trigger a coup.

“The Turkish Armed Forces does not want to be involved in political debates. On the other hand, the TSK will keep on closely following the developments regarding its corporate identity and the legal positions of its members.” the statement said.

The judicial process was followed and the authorities were informed about operations and practices that caused arguments about their compliance with laws or lead to different comments.

The TSK carries on its duties and responsibilities, which are defined by the constitution and the law, by staying out of any kind of political opinion and movement, the statement said. Within this scope, the TSK acted carefully in terms of law and with respect to the independence of law during the investigation and the prosecution process into its retired and regular members.