Former Air Force commander Gen. Akın Öztürk has denied an allegation by Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu that he was responsible for closing an internal military file related to a flash drive handed to the army in 2007.
Kılıçdaroğlu brought the issue to the agenda during a CHP parliamentary group meeting, saying CHP lawmaker Tuncay Özkan had delivered the flash drive to İlker Başbuğ, then commander of the Land Forces, in 2007.
The CHP leader said the material was sent to the Air Force Command because it mostly concerned Air Force personnel.
He alleged that the command closed the file on February 9, 2009, and held Öztürk responsible for that decision.
Öztürk, who is being held in Sincan Prison over accusations related to Turkey’s July 15, 2016 coup attempt, rejected the claim in a statement conveyed through his lawyer, Hicabi Durmuş, according to OdaTV reporter Müyesser Yıldız.
Öztürk said he knew of the Güneş Working Group, which was established to examine the contents of the flash drive, but said he had no role in closing the file.
“It was a group formed from those working in the intelligence and personnel units within the Air Force Command,” Öztürk said.
“When I was appointed, this file had already been concluded,” he added.
Öztürk called for the General Staff and the Air Force Command to be asked whether his name or signature appeared in the working group records.
“Is my name or signature in this working group? If there is, they should include me too,” he said.
The exchange added another dispute to the public debate over Öztürk, who has been accused by prosecutors of playing a leading role in the coup attempt, an allegation he denies.
Ankara blames the coup attempt on alleged Gülen movement-linked officers, a claim the movement denies.
