Special to WorldTribune.com

ANKARA — In the latest move to control the military, Prime Minister
Recep Erdogan has engineered the dismissal of 40 generals.

The Supreme Military Council, chaired by Erdogan, forced 40 generals and admirals to retire. All of the generals had been charged with planning a coup or seeking to undermine the Islamist government in Ankara.

“This [retirements] was because there was a lack of vacancies,” the
council said.

[See: Turkey’s ex-chief of staff jailed as Islamist crackdown on military continues]

The generals and admirals had been awaiting promotions even as they languished in military prison. None of them has been convicted.

The decision to dismiss the senior officers was announced on Aug. 4 on the conclusion of a four-day meeting by the council. The decision was relayed to Erdogan’s ally, President Abdullah Gul, who ratified the dismissal and approved appointments.

Another 15 admirals and generals were also dismissed. Another general was fired because of age. The military has more than 350 admirals and generals.

Erdogan kept several officers criticized for incompetence. This included
air force commander Gen. Mehmet Erten, blamed for the air strike that killed
34 Kurds in December 2011 as well as the downing of an F-4 fighter-jet by
Syria in June 2012.

  Abdullah Gul, Erdogan fires 40 generals charged with planning coup, Gen. Mehmet Erten, Islamist government, Supreme Military Council, undermining government