The former chief of general staff allegedly chides his sub-commanders for being deficient in the terror fight in an illegal recording. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ
Poor training and inadequate command chains hamper the antiterror fight, the former top general allegedly says on a tape recording
A voice recording illegally taped and released on which former Chief of General Staff Gen. Işık Koşaner allegedly detailed deficiencies in the Turkish military’s fight against terrorism hit the Internet late Tuesday. “One problem that we face often is that we sometimes cannot establish the unity of command and control. In a [terror] incident, the command post that has authority over the region has responsibility. We have the opportunity to receive footage of the area from unmanned aircraft, but we cannot interfere,” the voice allegedly belonging to Gen. Koşaner said in what appeared to be a conversation with other military personnel.
The office of the Chief of General Staff was not immediately available for comment on the tape, which was surreptitiously recorded by unknown individuals. The release of the recording came at a time when the military has launched a massive operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a group as a terrorist organization listed by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Former Gen. Koşaner resigned from his post in late July in protest of ongoing judicial prosecutions against high-ranking military officials. The comments on the tape also address specific deficiencies in the command and control of small units, and in training commanders in the field.
“Our smaller units are not strong. They are untrained. The rest will unravel quickly,” said the man believed to be Koşaner. “We are weak when it comes to the command and control of small units. I’m not talking about the gendarmerie. I mean our small units. The commanders must command and control their men.”
The recorded statements referred to past incidents in which these deficiencies had led to casualties. “If the man I appoint as a task force commander drops his weapon and runs, then we cannot carry this out. This means we did not train them well. If he runs from his position despite the rank on his arm, then of course the position will fall, of course we will have casualties,” the former top general allegedly said. “Two men advance toward them, and 30 soldiers run away.”
The voice believed to belong to Koşaner had harsh words for members of the military leadership. “Those in leader positions are nowhere to be found… And what hurt the most are those who drop their weapons and run... We are at fault. There are deficiencies in the training. And then we shot our own soldier thinking he was a terrorist.”
Speaking to other military personnel during the secretly taped conversation, Koşaner also allegedly urged the other commanders to “please keep track of the regions where you are at. Be a part of the crowd, from the barracks to the military post. You need to be in close contact with everyone, from police to the bums.”