July 29, 2016 - 11:17 AMT
Turkey's Erdogan wants army under president's control, official says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the armed forces and national intelligence agency brought under the control of the presidency, a parliamentary official said on Thursday, July 28, part of a major overhaul of the military after a failed coup, Reuters reports.

Erdogan's comments came after a five-hour meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YAS) - chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and including the top brass - and the dishonorable discharge of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged role in the abortive putsch on July 15-16.

After the meeting, Erdogan approved the council's decisions to keep armed forces chief Hulusi Akar and the army, navy and air force commanders in their posts, making few changes to the top brass, Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters.

Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup, told Reuters in an interview last week that the military, NATO'S second biggest, needed "fresh blood". The dishonorable discharges included around 40 percent of Turkey's admirals and generals.

"The president said that ... he would discuss with opposition parties bringing the General Staff and the MIT (intelligence agency) under the control of the presidency," the parliamentary official said.

Such a change would require a constitutional amendment, so Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party would require the support of opposition parties in parliament, Turkish media said, according to Reuters.

Both the General Staff and MIT currently report to the prime minister's office. Putting them under the president's overall direction would be in line with Erdogan's push for a new constitution centered on a strong executive presidency.