Erdogan removes Navy chief of staff from active duty: He was the architect of Turkey’s Libya deal

The removal of Yaycı by an order signed by Erdogan was done in “an unusual manner ahead of the Supreme Military Council meeting,” which customarily takes place in early August, an article on Veryansın TV said.

Yaycı, an influential figure in shaping Turkey’s maritime agreement with Libya last November who is also known for the method he developed to identify alleged Gulenists in the military, had fallen out with Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, the article said.

Journalist İbrahim Haskologlu said in a tweet that admirals he spoke to told him the removal would “make Greece and FETO happy,” referring to followers of Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric who Turkey accuses of having placed persons loyal to him in key public and military positions and masterminded the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016.

Yaycı had faced an investigation in January, and journalist Nedim Sener at the time wrote that the admiral had been targeted to force him to resign or retire.