Turkish military rules out prosecution over alleged anti-AKP plan
Hurriyet Daily News with wires
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The Military Prosecutor's Office said in a statement it has confirmed that the alleged document was not prepared in the General Staff headquarters as reported by Turkish media.
"No evidence has emerged to prove that the signature on the document is that of Navy Colonel Albay Dursun Cicek," it said, adding it is a copy and that the original has not been found.
It is now up to civilian justice to investigate "who fabricated the document and for what reasons... and whether their objective was to tarnish the Turkish Armed Forces," the statement said, adding the case file was sent to Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.
Turkish daily Taraf earlier this month published a document allegedly drafted by Cicek that contained a plan to fight fundamentalism and religious movements in the country.
The document was aimed particularly at the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and the Gulen movement, which are accused of trying to undermine
The General Staff launched a comprehensive investigation into the authenticity of the document on remarks made by Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug that promised they would follow the issue through to the end.
The government has petitioned a civilian court to take legal action in the case.
Deputy parliamentary group leader of the AKP, Bekir Bozdag, told reporters Wednesday the decision made by military prosecutors is a true one within the laws and Constitution.
But he reminded that his party has defended civilian, and not military prosecutors, should deal with this issue since the publication of the alleged document.
Spokesman for the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, criticized those judging the army’s guilt over the preparation of the document in question, since the report was published in Taraf daily.
"I wonder what those criticizing the army for the past 15days will say now," Mustafa Oztyurek told a televised press conference.
