Former Chief of General Staff faces investigation

Former Chief of General Staff faces investigation

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
A probe has been launched against former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ for his alleged role in a defamation campaign against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the government.

The court overseeing the “Internet Memorandum” case had decided to file an official criminal complaint against retired general Başbuğ Dec. 31 for his alleged role.

The ongoing Internet Memorandum case refers to an alleged document by the General Staff about setting up 42 Internet sites to distribute propaganda against the AKP, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Greeks and Armenians. Retired Col. Dursun Çiçek, who is currently on trial in four different alleged coup-plot cases, is the top suspect in the case, which was earlier merged with the case regarding the Action Plan for the Fight against Fundamentalism. A lawyer for one of the suspects in the case requested last May that the former top general appear in court and be heard as a witness in the case. k HDN