Erdogan pardons 7 generals from 1997 coup, convicted murderer

President Erdogan pardons eight individuals, including seven retired generals and a convicted murderer, citing health and age concerns

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pardoned eight individuals Friday, including seven retired generals and a man convicted of killing two Felicity Party members.

Health concerns and advanced age influenced these decisions, according to official statements.

Erdogan pardoned Haci Suluk, who was serving a life sentence for the 2019 murders of two election officials from the Felicity Party. The attack occurred in Malatya province during local elections.

Suluk, the father of Puturge Mayor Mikail Suluk, had been convicted of “intentional killing” along with his son and two nephews. The Forensic Medicine Institution cited permanent illness and old age as reasons for his pardon.

On the same day, Erdogan pardoned seven former top military officers imprisoned for their roles in the 1997 ouster of then-Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.

The former generals, aged between 77 and 85, had been serving life sentences.

Their involvement in the “postmodern coup” led to Erbakan’s resignation without direct military intervention. The pardons followed appeals from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which had advocated for their release.

Among those pardoned was Cetin Dogan, 83, who headed military operations at the time. Also pardoned was Cevik Bir, 85, who had already been released for health reasons. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel called the decision “late but just.”

Erdogan’s recent meeting with Ozel, where the CHP leader raised the clemency issue, reflects a potential political compromise. The pardoned generals had been instrumental in the 1997 campaign to preserve secularism by pressuring Erbakan’s extremist-led government to resign.

This movement resulted in the establishment of a secular coalition government.

The pardons point to ongoing tensions between secular and extremist forces in Türkiye. These developments reflect the government’s efforts to manage the legacy of military involvement in politics.

Reactions to the pardons have varied, reflecting the complex political landscape and historical context of civil-military relations in Türkiye.

Source: Newsroom