ISTANBUL // A routine meeting of Turkey's top-ranking officers is turning into a power struggle between the military and the government.
The Supreme Military Council (Yas) held the second day of its annual meeting in Ankara yesterday to discuss promotions and dismissals of officers of the armed forces, one of the most powerful institutions in the country.
One expected outcome of the meeting, scheduled to finish tomorrow, is a change of guard at the top of the military. Gen Ilker Basbug, 67, the chief of general staff, has reached retirement age and will be replaced by Gen Isik Kosaner, 64, the current commander of Turkey's land forces.
Turkey is a country that has seen four governments pushed from power by the generals in the past 50 years. It is a tradition that the military, and not the government, decides which officers are promoted or dismissed. But this time it is different. While Gen Kosaner's promotion is seen as certain, the military has come under unprecedented pressure to cancel scheduled promotions of 11 generals who have been charged with plotting to bring down the government.
The big question is whether the military leadership will bow to that pressure, thereby accepting that civilian authorities such as the judiciary and the government set limits on what the armed forces can do. The debate about the professional future of the 11 generals reflects the more fundamental issue of the need to strengthen the civilian oversight over the military, a crucial aspect for this EU candidate country.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, presided over the Yas meeting and has reportedly called for a cancellation of the promotions for the 11 generals, but he lacks the power to override appointments wanted by the generals.
Abdullah Gul, the president, does have that power because Yas decisions become law only after being signed by the president. In the past, no president has dared veto the military's plans.
This time, it could be different, news reports suggested.
"Promotion crisis at YAS," the daily Vatan said in a headline yesterday. The pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper reported that Mr Gul had asked Gen Basbug not to go ahead with the promotions, hinting that he would not sign the Yas documents if the 11 generals were promoted. There was no word on how Gen Basbug would react. According to news reports, he complained to the president that the accusations against the officers were part of a smear campaign to discredit the army.
A court in Istanbul recently issued arrest warrants for the generals and 91 other serving and retired officers, with dozens of generals among them. They are to stand trial in December for their suspected participation in a plan, code-named Sledgehammer, that prosecutors said was hatched in 2003 and called for a coup against the religiously conservative government of Mr Erdogan, who is regarded as a dangerous Islamist by many in the strictly secular armed forces.
According to the prosecution, the plotters wanted to bomb a historic mosque in Istanbul and to provoke tensions with Greece in an effort to stir up unrest and prepare the ground for a military coup against Mr Erdogan. Only one of the 102 suspects has been arrested so far. The others have appealed against their arrest warrants.
Military officers have been indicted in several cases of suspected coup plots in recent months. Some officers, including retired high-ranking generals, are standing trial as suspected members of Ergenekon, a clandestine network of right-wing activists and military officers who plotted to bring down Mr Erdogan, according to the prosecution. Even one of the officers taking part in the Yas meeting, Gen Saldiray Berk, is a suspect in one of the cases.
Suspected coup plots have dented the military's reputation as an institution that has the country's well-being at heart and have led to an increase of criticism directed against the political role of the armed forces. While the generals see themselves as guardians of the republic's core values such as secularism, critics say they act as a kind of unelected government.
"Generals do not only command troops, but lay a claim on commanding Turkey," the columnist Ihsan Dagi wrote yesterday in Today's Zaman, an English-language newspaper that is close to the government. Referring to the debate surrounding the Yas meeting, he added: "If Turkey were a fully functioning democracy, why should we be concerned about a process of bureaucratic appointment?"
Coup accusations are not the only challenge facing Gen Kosaner when he takes over from Gen Basbug at the end of August. Several constitutional amendments designed to further curb the generals' political influence will be put to a referendum on September 12. The military is also struggling to deal with a fresh wave of attacks by Kurdish rebels in south-eastern Anatolia that have killed dozens of soldiers in recent months. Yesterday, railroad officials blamed Kurdish rebels for explosions that derailed eight cars of a train between Divrigi and Erzincan. No one was injured in the attack.
@Email:tseibert@thenational.ae
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Community Shield info
Where, when and at what time Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday at 5pm (UAE time)
Arsenal line up (3-4-2-1) Petr Cech; Rob Holding, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal; Hector Bellerin, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck; Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Chelsea line up (3-4-2-1) Thibaut Courtois; Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Gary Cahill; Victor Moses, Cesc Fabregas, N'Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Willian, Pedro; Michy Batshuayi
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte
Referee Bobby Madley
57%20Seconds
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets