Turkish Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) convened at Çankaya Palaca in Ankara under the presidency of Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım. Council decided to reshuffle land, naval and air force commanders.
Council, appointed Yaşar Güler as the commander of land forces, Adnan Özbal as naval force commander and Hasan Küçükakyüz as air force commander.
The Council meeting held on 23 August, 2016, sent 586 colonels into forced retirement, an enormous number that many viewed as a purge. Out of the 586 high-ranking officers who were forced to retire, 470 were from the land forces, 71 from the naval forces and 45 from the air forces. The meeting was held in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.
Arrestees include military members, journalists, judges, prosecutors, police and military officers, academics and governors. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
