Turkey’s top commander may be on his way out
The Turkish president soon will decide whether to keep his embattled chief of general staff for a while or replace him immediately.
Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar has been having a tough time the past couple of months. Turkish media printed his high school photographs with Turkey’s most prominent conservative ideologue, Necip Fazil, followed by photographs of him as a lieutenant with former President Abdullah Gul and notable right-wing columnist Fehmi Koru.
These aren't people the military looks upon favorably, and Akar suddenly found himself in the midst of a debate about his conservatism. Even more damaging has been the testimony of soldiers on trial for the July 15 coup attempt who said Akar did not try hard enough to foil the uprising and, even though he was not interned, opted to passively observe the developments of that fateful night.
Officers who were discharged about five years ago from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) because of their alleged involvement in the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer coup plot cases are accusing Akar of failing to notice pro-Gulen officers had penetrated his own offices. Erdogan blames followers of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen for the coup attempt.
Opposition parties allege the attempt actually was to have been a "controlled coup" in which Akar played a major role. These charges, which are being widely discussed, emphasize Akar's dismal management of the crisis.
