- ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Turkey ) ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁process ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁military ▁memor and um ▁( the ▁" post - mod ern ▁coup "), ▁and ▁active ▁until ▁at ▁least ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁The ▁primary ▁activity ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁class ifying ▁polit icians , ▁military ▁personnel , ▁journal ists ▁and ▁others ▁according ▁to ▁eth nic ▁background , ▁religious ▁affili ation ▁and ▁political ▁lean ings , ▁and ▁to ▁monitor ▁the ▁activity ▁of ▁those ▁considered ▁a ▁potential ▁danger ▁to ▁sec ular ism ▁in ▁Turkey . ▁This ▁included ▁monitoring ▁some ▁religious ▁communities ▁outside ▁Turkey . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁claimed ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁B Ç G ▁had ▁records ▁on ▁ 6 ▁million ▁people , ▁and ▁offices ▁in ▁the ▁High er ▁Education ▁Board ▁( Y Ö K ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁each ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁military . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁General ▁ Ç ev ik ▁Bir ▁( then ▁deput y - ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff ) ▁has ▁said ▁he ▁set ▁up ▁the ▁group ▁on ▁the ▁orders ▁of ▁then ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff ▁ İ s mail ▁H ak k ı ▁Kar ad ay ı , ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁legal ▁group ▁def ending ▁Turkey , ▁acting ▁on ▁the ▁instructions ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁Council ▁in ▁its ▁ 2 8 ▁February ▁meeting ▁and ▁a ▁cabinet ▁meeting ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁According ▁to ▁General