All heads of Turkish General Staff resign

[Valin]

Hot Air:

J.E. Dyer
7/30/11

According to the UK Telegraph, the Turkish top brass resigned en masse on Friday to protest the Erdogan government’s plans for a military promotions board scheduled for next week.

The generals apparently want to promote officers whom the Erdogan government wants to block, based on the claim that the officers participated in the alleged “Ergenekon” conspiracy of 2003 (known as Operation “Sledgehammer”) against the civilian leadership.

(Snip)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected as the leader of an explicitly Islamist party in 2003, however. Much of Erdogan’s agenda has involved weakening the independence of the military, judiciary, and education officials. Many observers believe that the allegations about the “Sledgehammer” conspiracy, even there is a core of truth to them, are being misused to simply entrap the blameless opponents of Erdogan’s political program. (Other observers believe the Ergenekon conspiracy theme is entirely fabricated. See links.)

(Snip)

It could very well be the fecal matter is interfacing with the air movement device!

[Valin]

Turkey’s Gul says no crisis as top generals quit

7/30/11

 

President Abdullah Gul denied on Saturday that Turkey faced a crisis after the resignation of the country’s four most senior military commanders, but acknowledged this had created an “extraordinary” situation.

 

The departure of the generals has caused turmoil in the military, giving Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan an opportunity to extend his authority over the once-dominant armed forces, the second biggest in NATO.

 

(Snip)

 

Relations between the secularist military and Erdogan’s socially conservative Justice and Development Party (AK) have been fraught since it first won power in 2002, due to mistrust of the AK’s Islamist roots.

 

(Snip)

 

More to follow I'm sure. We'll have to wait and see how the Army responds. One way or the other Turkey just changed.