Coup bid committee criticizes ex-Turkish army chief

By Hatice Ozdemir

ANKARA

The former chief of the Turkish General Staff faced criticism from lawmakers Wednesday for declining to appear before them to give evidence on the July 15 coup attempt.

Necdet Ozel, who led Turkey’s armed forces from 2011 to 2015, offered to give written evidence rather than appearing before a committee investigating the failed coup.

In a statement to a newspaper, he said: “My demand is legal. I escape from nothing.”

However, lawmakers from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and opposition parties demanded he attend a hearing in parliament.

“Everyone who believes in democracy should not abstain from coming to parliament and presenting information and they should not keep what they know a secret from the Turkish people,” Mehmet Erdogan, a deputy from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said.

“I, as a representative of the parliament, demand of him once again that he comes here.”

Sezgin Tanrikulu, of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), added: “He has a right to not come to the commission. But negative opinions intensify because he does not come. His predecessor came here and he was listened to. His successor also will come here and be listened to.”

The coup bid saw elements of Turkey’s armed forces attempt to seize power. During the attempt 246 were martyred.

Lt. Col. Levent Turkkan, who was arrested in the immediate aftermath, confessed to spying on both Ozel and his successor, Gen. Hulusi Akar, when he worked as an aide for them. Turkkan admitted membership of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is said to have been behind the coup attempt.

The committee investigating the coup bid first met last month.