| Author (Person) | Strauss, Delphine |
|---|---|
| Series Title | Financial Times |
| Series Details | 23.2.10 |
| Publication Date | 23/02/2010 |
| Content Type | News |
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Former chiefs of Turkey’s air force and navy were among retired and serving officers detained on the 22 February 2010 by police in connection with the so-called 'Sledgehammer' documents, alleged to contain plans for a military coup. The sweep is likely to exacerbate tensions between the ruling AK party, which has its roots in political Islam, and its opponents in the traditionally secularist army and judiciary. Ilker Basbug, the current Chief of General Staff, made no public comment on the detentions. He previously denied that the Sledgehammer papers contained coup plans, but authorised a military investigation to run alongside the civilian court probe. Now General Basbug is likely to come under pressure from his staff to toughen his approach, though he has stressed that the era of military coups is over. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, is threatening a fresh push for constitutional reforms that the AK party has attempted before. FT editorial argues that 'What Turkey needs is constitutional reform to secure democracy against undue influence by either religion or the military. That will be difficult without a settlement in the public mind over what kind of country Turkey is. Judicial battles will hardly make the task easier'. Turkish political and military leaders held a meeting on the 25 February 2010 to try and reduce tensions between the government and the armed forces over the alleged coup plot. |
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| Countries / Regions | Turkey |
