They arrested 10 retired Turkish admirals for critical letter to Erdogan

Ten retired admirals were arrested on Monday in Turkey after an open letter signed by more than 100 of them warning against a project, the “Istanbul Canal”, del presidente Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to the Ankara Attorney General’s Office, the ten retired admirals are in custody. Four other retired senior officers were not due to their age, but were ordered to report to police within three days.

A judicial inquiry has been opened against the retired soldiers who signed the letter for “meeting with a view to committing a crime against state security and constitutional order”. according to the parquet.

The approval last month in Turkey of plans to develop in Istanbul a navigation canal comparable to that of Panama or Suez, has opened a debate on the Montreux Convention, which guarantees the free passage of civilian ships through the Strait. from the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.

In your letter, 104 retired admirals express their “concern” to open a debate on the Montreux Convention, which according to him “protects Turkish interests”.

“Canal Istanbul” is the most ambitious of what President Erdogan calls his “crazy projects” that have transformed the country with new airports, bridges, roads and tunnels during his 18 years in power.

The Turkish government says this canal would give Istanbul a new pole of attraction, in addition to lightening the Bosporus, one of the most congested straits in the world. More than 18,000 ships crossed it in 2018, according to Turkish authorities.

The letter from military admirals already elicited a harsh response from the government on Sunday. “Not only those who signed it, but also those who encourage it, will be held accountable in court,” said Fahrettin Altun, President Erdogan’s communications chief.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay compared the signatories to “cowards hissing in a cemetery”. Numan Kurtulus, vice-chairman of the ruling party, tweeted that they are “lovers of ancient Turkey who consider themselves above the popular will”.

With information from AFP

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