AKP member threatens retired admirals by sharing picture of guns
An AKP member has threatened retired admirals, who were targeted by the government earlier this month for releasing a declaration, by sharing a picture of guns. "We are waiting for you," Vedat Demirtaş said.
Duvar English
A member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır has shared a picture of guns to threaten a group of retired admirals, who were targeted by the government for releasing a declaration that called for the Montreux Convention's preservation.
AKP Diyarbakır youth branch head Vedat Demirtaş shared the picture on his Twitter account.
"We are waiting for you," Demirtaş said. "Bring it on. Making history is our business."
Demirtaş later deleted his post.
A total of 104 admirals released a declaration earlier this month that called on the government to refrain from opening withdrawal from the Montreux Convention to debate.
"The fact that withdrawing from the Montreux Convention was opened to debate as part of talks on Kanal Istanbul and the authority to exit from international treaties was met with concern," the admirals said in their declaration.
The statement drew a backlash from officials who saw it as a direct challenge from the military to the civilian government. Various AKP officials accused the former soldiers of suggesting a coup and 14 of the signatories were detained.
While they were released this week, the daily Sözcü reported on April 15 that ankle monitors are being put on them.
"They are surprised and saddened by this decision," Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk said.