Yet another AKP official's armed threat to retired admirals surfaces

Yet another official from ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) made an armed threat to the retired admirals who issued a declaration that called for the Montreux Convention's preservation.

Friday April 16 2021 01:28 pm

Duvar English

Yet another member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was reported to have made armed threats to the retired admirals who were targeted by the government for releasing a declaration that called for the Montreux Convention's preservation.

AKP Diyarbakır Provincial Board member Turgut Özzeren shared pictures of himself with an automatic weapon and multiple Turkish flags on Twitter on April 4, when the admirals released the declaration.

"103 deranged people seemed to have given a message. Try again if you dare, if you have a grave to lay in. I'm a coward [if I let you], trying is free," said

🇹🇷103 Tane dengesiz Sanki Bir mesaj vermiş Sıkıysa birdaha deneyin yatacak mezarınız olursa namerdim Denemesi bedava🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/C3HUgQ9vAX
— Turgut Özzeren (@turgutozzeren21) April 4, 2021

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 government 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 were put on them.