Evren on Thursday came up with an offer to introduce a provincial system, sparking a tense debate in the political arena. Turkey's administrative structure should be readdressed with the establishment of eight states, said Evren, adding, "It's hard to believe that Ankara manages to control all 81 provinces."

In a message to mark the anniversary of the 1924 abolition of the caliphate and passage of the law uniting the education system in Turkey, DSP leader Sezer said that these decisions erased the religious structure of the state while opening the path for illumination and modernization.

Warning that efforts to undermine both the unitary and secular structure of the state through encouraging religious governance, separatism and regionalism are on the rise, Sezer accused Evren of having joined such efforts.

Evren, who engineered a military coup on the pretext of protecting the country from anarchy, is responsible for exploiters of religion gaining ground, the vanishing of democratic sensitivities and oppression of patriots, said the DSP leader.

"Those who are fooled by insensibleness of Evren and his like and hope for disintegration of the country are mistaken. The secular, democratic, social and unitary character of the Turkish Republic will prevail forever," said Sezer.

MHP: Is Evren of sound mind?

Evren may not still have a sound mind, as his comments constitute a crime, said Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Izmir head Musavvat Dervisoglu, calling on the public prosecutor to examine the statement in order to launch a probe into the former president.

Dervisoglu, at a press conference in the party's Izmir office, said Evren should be prosecuted under Article 302 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which carries a life sentence in solitary confinement for acts to disturb the unity of the state, integrity of the country, or disunite certain areas from the state rule.

He also added that they have troubles understanding whether Evren speaks as a former president or as a 90-year-old whose head has gone soft.

Also claiming that Evren and pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) leader Ahmet Turk are no different in their statements, the MHP official said that prosecutors have launched numerous investigations into Turk over similar remarks.

Evren immune from charges

However, Evren and other perpetrators of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup are immune from legal charges under a temporary article of the Constitution still in force.

Civil groups have several times urged parliamentarians to annul the article, but the latest move to do so failed in 2000.

Independence and Change Party (HURPARTI) leader Yasar Okuyan on Friday said deputies have the responsibility to annul the article to open the way for Evren to face charges.

At a press conference at party headquarters, Okuyan lashed out at the former president, comparing him with Abdullah Ocalan, inmate leader of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and said that Evren has raised the issue in a profoundly explosive period when disintegration is at stake.

"One who proposes dividing Turkey into eight provinces is not a man," he added, accusing Evren of having committed the coup not to end to anarchy but under orders from the U.S.

Addressing deputies, Okuyan said, "You've changed almost all articles of the Constitution. This time change temporary Article 15."

The article grants legal exemptions to all perpetrators and administrative bodies established in the aftermath of the coup as well as their decisions.

"Evren has no right to speak of country's affairs, he already did enough harm," said main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy General Secretary Oguz Oyan. "He was used to meddling in affairs he is poor in, obliviously he still does," he said.

Evren also said on Wednesday that the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) should get into Parliament in the next general elections, set for Nov. 4, for the good of Turkey in the long run.

"There is now a Kurdish state. Occupying [the oil-rich Iraqi city] Kirkuk would be a mistake," he underlined, adding that Turkey should get used to living with a Kurdish state nearby and that the only way to end the Kurdish problem is granting further rights to the Kurdish population in Turkey.

His remarks echoed those of Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who also told Turkey on Wednesday that Turkey should "get used to" a Kurdistan.

Once there was a pine tree…

But the author of the striking remarks said he was misunderstood and denied having proposed and federation.

"The central governing system is clogged, so authority should be spread out," he added speaking to daily Milliyet late on Thursday.

He also said it was unfair to portray him as a PKK member or a pro-Kurdish figure, and complained of the "heavy bureaucracy" clogging the whole system.

"There was a pine tree in the backyard of a school," said Evren. "Officials told me that they have to cut it down as it could fall on the children. After a while I saw that tree was still there and I asked the officials why they didn't cut it down. They told me that they wrote to Ankara for permission and are waiting to hear from there." Evren asked how one could accept such a system.

He added that he once prepared a bill to introduce a provincial system but the general elections and new government frustrated this effort.

"This system can be adopted without damaging the unitary structure," argued the former president, adding that this may serve to the interests of both the state and all the regions including the predominantly Kurdish southeast.
 

The New Anatolian / Ankara