Turkish General Staff denies coup d’état plot accusations

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish General Staff has denied allegations that some members of the military allegedly linked to the Fethullah Gülen movement were planning a coup d’état, according to a written statement issued Thursday, March 31, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Fethullah Gülen is a Turkish preacher, former imam, writer, and political figure. The founder of the Gülen movement, he currently lives in self-imposed exile in the United States. Gülen was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan until 2013, when the alliance was destroyed after corruption investigations. He is currently on Turkey's most-wanted terrorist list and is accused of leading what the current Turkish government calls the Gulenist Terror Organisation.

“Discipline, absolute obedience and single order command is essential in the Turkish Armed Forces. It is not possible for there to be any concessions to any illegal and out-of-command chain hierarchy establishment or action,” said the statement, adding that a legal process had been initiated and a criminal complaint filed against those who published news stories and comments spreading the allegations.

In the statement, the Turkish Armed Forces emphasized that it voices its “loyalty to democracy” at every opportunity and that such “baseless” allegations “naturally demoralize military personnel.”

The statement came during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the United States.