Retired admirals behind declaration to pay for it: Defense minister

The 104 retired admirals who issued the declaration on Montreux Convention are malevolent and will pay for it, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a statement early Wednesday.

“The Turkish Armed Forces cannot be used to fulfill the ambitions of irresponsible people,” he underlined.

“They should have known what they did would lead to,” Akar emphasized.

The declaration has drawn a strong reaction from the officials and the public who say it implies interference in democratic institutions and public will.

In a press conference late Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called the declaration released by the retired admirals "malevolent," accusing it of featuring "coup implications."

The president also touched upon the importance of the Montreux Convention but emphasized that there may be better options in the future. "The Montreux Convention was an important gain for Turkey for its time. We are continuing our commitment to the Montreux Convention, at least until there is a favorable replacement," he said.

"If the attempt is to declare an opinion on the discussion regarding the Montreux Convention, the way to do it is not to declare such a statement, but instead have academic works on it that will contribute to literature," the president added.

The Ankara Prosecutor’s Office also launched an investigation based on Article 316/1 of the Turkish Penal Code. In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said the 10 suspects were detained to prevent the destruction of evidence and to determine other suspects involved in the incident, while four other suspects were not detained due to their age but were told to report to the Ankara Police Directorate within three days. The 10 retired admirals were detained as part of an investigation over suspicions that they had reached "an agreement with the aim of committing a crime against the security of the state and the constitutional order."