Turkey’s intelligence chief excluded from investigations on coup attempt
Although his role in July 15 coup attempt in Turkey has been quite contentious, Chief of Turkey’s MİT (National Intelligence Organization) Hakan Fidan has not been invited to speak before the parliamentary committee on investigation on coup attempt.
While the committee, headed by an AKP member, prepared questions to be posed to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister Binali Yıdırım, and Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar, MİT Chief Hakan Fidan has been excluded. Some of the questions of the committee to these top three state officials are: ‘How did you first find out about the coup attempt?’ and ‘What did you personally experience on the night of July 15?’
Though questions have been written down, it is still not clear whether they have actually been handed in to the offices of the president, prime minister, and chief of staff or not.
Questions of the committee to President Erdoğan
The committee asked Erdoğan whether an investigation or an initiative for an investigation had been put forth about the ‘Fethullah Gülen community’ as an ‘illegal structure’ prior to 17-25 December 2013.
Erdoğan’s opinion on ties between FETÖ and other terrorist organizations that target Turkey, as well as approach of USA and EU on FETÖ, were asked.
Other questions posed to be replied by President Erdoğan are: ‘Who did you contact as soon as you had been informed about the attempt?’; ‘How did you decide to come to İstanbul?’; ‘Did you suspect or hear anything about such attempt prior to that time?’
President Erdoğan has also been asked whether any intelligence foreseeing the threat of FETÖ/PDY had been submitted to his office before the actual attempt.
Committee wanted Erdoğan to share his personal views about ‘what he thought the most significant purpose of FETÖ was in this attempt of coup’ and ‘if he thought this group had had the goal of seizing power through a coup all along or not.’
Questions posed for PM Yıldırım to answer
While similar questions were also posed by the committee to PM Yıldırım, he was also asked about the structural weaknesses in Turkey’s current organization of security units, including the intelligence services, police force, armed forces, and gendarme.
Committee wanted Yıldırım to share his observations prior to the coup attempt and asked him whether he had suspected anything in advance; and, he was asked about ‘why he could not get in contact with MİT chief Fidan initially.’
Questions to Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar
The most significant question asked for Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar to answer is about the visit of MİT Chief Hakan Fidan to the office of chief of staff on the day of the coup attempt. Akar is requested to answer ‘what he talked about with Fidan during that visit’ and ‘how he actually found out about the attempt.’
Akar is also asked whether ‘he was tortured on the night of the attempt or not’. Additionally, he is questioned about the current ‘cautions taken to prevent FETÖ members to infiltrate into Turkish Armed Forces again.’
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/hakan-fidan-i-es-gectiler-141069.html