Who is this tactless?
In my article titled “Are scenarios written at the Hudson or Ümraniye?” dated May 24, 2007 and published in the daily Hürriyet, I explained that I have no objections to discussions about the “B-Plan” between the United States and Turkey similar to those held at the Hudson Institute or to have military members in such meetings. But…
I also added, “What needs to be discussed about the Hudson meeting is the claim that some people told Americans, ‘don’t turn the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) commanders to Turkey before the elections’. This is a fatal claim.”
The Zaman daily’s Ali H. Aslan is of the same opinion as me:
“The most crucial point, if you ask me, is the information in a meeting that a Turkish official and the expert acting inhospitably to the restitution of PKK leaders to Turkey.” (Zaman-25.06.07)
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Though no one pens down bluntly, the alleged tactless remarks most likely were made by a commander. Despite the General Staff’s heavy denials, number of people attesting the claims Yasemin Çongar made increases geometrically.
First, let’s read Yasemin Çongar remains implicated.
“Finally, there is a point left that the General Staff accuses me of and asks me to “clarify”. That is, there were people at the meeting who did not want the return of PKK leaders to Turkey, at this stage, for it would serve to the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
All right, but in this case, what will we say to a statement that Professor Henry J. Barkey, who attended the Hudson meeting, told the CNN Türk yesterday that he didn’t see “anything against the truth” in our news? How will we explain that the TUSIAD Representative for the U.S. Abdullah Akyüz conveyed that another attendee, beside Mr. Barkey, confirmed verbatim the related news reports? How will we react to the Referans daily’s Senior Editor Cengiz Çandar who said that he talked to the other participants beside Mr. Barkey and received similar information from them?” (Milliyet-25.06.07)
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Let’s continue with Mr. Aslan:
“But in fact the person who heard the news before us and used it in his column was Hasan Mesut Hazar, The Türkiye daily’s Washington representative. Hazar penned down his article last Wednesday evening, the day of the meeting held at Hudson. It was Hazar, who first brought the issue to the agenda when asked a related question to Egemen Bağış (senior adviser to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan). The Cumhuriyet daily’s Washington Representative Yılmaz Polat said, “let’s give a name to this deal” in the same meeting and pronounced first time the names of the Hudson Institute and Zeyno Baran.” (Zaman-25.06.07)
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Working in different newspapers and having different point of views, different people such as Henri J.Berkey, Abdullah Akyüz, Cengiz Çandar, Ali H.Aslan, Hasan Mesut Hazar and Yılmaz Polat endorse Yasemin Çongar.
The Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt should excuse us but someone awfully misdirected him.
Now the same General Staff should:
1) Make an apology to Yasemin Çongar
2) Expose the said commander (or the expert in charge) who did not know neither his place nor his description of duty.
3) Do what is necessary to deal with this person.
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“With the fear of that it would serve to the government, a commander does not want restitution of the enemy!”
This is what the tactless words confirmed by various sources mean!
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The General Staff first of all is obliged to save the prestige of the Turkish Armed Forces!