Supreme Military Council Meeting Begins In Ankara

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23th August, 2016) : The meeting of Turkey's Supreme Military Council began under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara Tuesday.

The meeting started after council members visited the Anitkabir mausoleum of founder of Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Several top ministers now have seats at the council as a result of a key reform made in wake of the foiled July 15 coup. Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, Deputy Prime Ministers Nurettin Canikli, Numan Kurtulmus, Mehmet Simsek, Tugrul Turkes, Veysi Kaynak; Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Interior Minister Efkan Ala, Defense Minister Fikri Isik as well as commanders of the Turkish land, air and naval forces are attending the meeting. Under a statutory decree issued last month during Turkey's current three-month state of emergency, deputy prime ministers as well as foreign, justice and interior ministers will now join the prime minister, chief of General Staff, defense minister, and other commanders in council meetings.

The council's first meeting was held on July 28.

The venue had been changed for the first time from the General Staff headquarters to the prime minister's residence at Cankaya Palace. During the meeting, which was held outside the General Staff headquarters for the second time since the coup attempt, one of the topics would be about extension in tenure of colonels. Following the five-hour meeting last month, the council had opted to keep Gen.

Hulusi Akar as chief of General Staff. It also decided to keep commanders of land, air and naval forces at their posts.