The Supreme Military Council, or YAŞ, set to begin Sunday is drawing intense attention and speculation about whether 11 generals and admirals charged in an alleged coup plot will be able to receive their scheduled promotions.
The senior army commanders are among 102 suspects for whom a Turkish court recently issued an arrest warrant as part of the “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) investigation, which could throw an unprecedented wrench into the internal workings of the military.
The 11 high-level officers awaiting promotion – including Maj. Gen. Gürbüz Kaya, who gave a controversial briefing to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Gediktepe, the southeastern Anatolian site of a recent deadly terrorist attack and Sixth Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Nejat Bek – would under normal circumstances receive their new assignments at the YAŞ meeting, which brings the prime minister together with the chief of the General Staff and top commanders.
Under the current situation, however, the 11 generals and admirals can be promoted only if their appeals against the arrest warrants issued July 23 are accepted by the court. All 102 suspects, 25 of whom are on active duty and 45 of whom are generals, objected to the arrest warrant during the one-week period during which such objections were allowed. An Istanbul high criminal court was expected to make a decision Friday about whether the appeals would be admitted.
If the officers’ objections are found acceptable by the court, the way will be opened for them to receive their scheduled promotions. If the court rejects the appeals, however, the commanders will be unable to be promoted until the case against them is concluded.
The Sledgehammer coup plan was allegedly drawn up in 2003, shortly after the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, came to power, amid fears it would undermine the secular system, of which the military has traditionally served as the guardian.
Article 65 of the Turkish Armed Forces, or TSK’s, Personnel Law No. 926 determines the conditions under which officers cannot be promoted, saying officers who are arrested or desert the military cannot advance to a higher rank.
The generals and admirals who are arrested by the court risk being deprived of promotions and incurring serious losses to their personal rights. Some media reports have said their promotions are expected to be carried this year without being subjected to any procedures, but how the newly promoted commanders will be assimilated into their new positions is a source of concern. Some have suggested that the number of promotions be reduced as a possible solution.
Another key issue in the case is that the authority to temporarily dismiss the suspects from the military rests with government ministers, not with Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ.
Article 65 of the TSK Personnel Law No. 926 gives the authority to Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül to temporarily dismiss members of the armed forces, while Interior Minister Beşir Atalay possesses a similar authority with members of the gendarmerie.
YAŞ decisions are submitted for the president’s approval before they are made public, but thus far, no president has ever refused to rubberstamp the decisions.
Last year, however, Erdoğan noted an objection to the decisions made on some officers’ dismissals from the military on the grounds of engaging in fundamentalist activities.
The YAŞ meeting will also shape the new command structure. Başbuğ will retire and is expected to be replaced by Land Forces Cmdr. Işık Koşaner. Gendarmerie Cmdr. Atilla Işık, meanwhile, will also retire. At the same time, 1st Army Cmdr. Hasan Iğsız will serve as land forces commander for a one-year period, while Necdet Özel is expected to be appointed as 1st Army commander.
