According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s government has jailed at least 85 generals and admirals since Friday evening’s failed military coup, with all of them facing trials over their putative roles in the attack.
Though a comprehensive list of the arrested has not been made public, they include Gen. Akin Ozturk, the former commander of the Air Force who yesterday was claimed to have “confessed” to being the ringleader, along with Gen. Adem Hududi, the commander of the nation’s 2nd Army.
Ozturk denied any involvement in the coup yesterday, saying he told prosecutors that he had no idea who the ringleaders were. The state media followed his talk with prosecutors by claiming he’d confessed, and images today showed him bound, and with his ears heavily bandaged.
The Erdogan government has fired tens of thousands in the wake of the coup, and detained many thousands of others, claiming them to be linked with “terrorist” groups involved with the coup, primarily the Gulen movement. Fethullah Gulen, an exiled cleric, has denied involvement.
We should jail many of our Generals and Admirals
If Erdogan is getting advice to go down this path, I’m going to suggest that it is probably really bad advice.