January 13, 2012

Greatest trick of pro-Ergenekon figures

Hüseyin Gülerce

There is fierce competition and struggle between democratization and guardianship on the political, judicial and media fronts. The supporters of guardianship still remain baffled by the unpreparedness for the recent developments and inability to properly read the changing Turkey and the world.

They are uselessly struggling within a state of despair at a time when they were feeling strong. But the evidence is strong and lucid in the investigations where they are being tried. It is impossible to achieve their goals through judicial means. Out of despair, they have developed a new tactic. I call this the last trick of the pro-Ergenekon figures. They are speaking to the public, not to the judges. Their target groups are those who are hostile to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gülen movement because there is a vast group of people that have been manipulated through the organized efforts of the media and the attempts of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to protect the Ergenekon suspects in Turkey. There is still a number of people who believe everything that has been said about the AK Party and the Gülen movement.

These people are intimidated by these circles who instill fear that the republican regime, secularism and their lifestyles are in danger. And they are made to believe every attempt of disinformation. The last example of this was observed with the arrest of former chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ. In a speech before his arrest, Başbuğ said: “The 26th chief of General Staff of Turkey is being accused of establishing and administering a terrorist organization. I leave this to the consideration of the esteemed Turkish nation.” What he meant was the group of people who have been intimidated (by fear mongers) and manipulated. Actually, 58 percent of the nation voted in favor of the reform package in the 2010 referendum and showed its view about the Ergenekon cases. I should also note that despite all the efforts by Başbuğ and the Ergenekon supporters, those people have now started to show signs of hesitation in their minds and hearts. The 26th chief of General Staff was arrested, but nobody took to the streets, except for a small group of Workers’ Party (İP) supporters in İzmir. Besides, it is also evident that Başbuğ’s reference to his being the 26th chief of General Staff at a time when the trial of 17th chief of General Staff, Kenan Evren, has become a possibility, is not meaningful.

Let me finish my column with a reminder. Başbuğ will be brought to trial in connection with an investigation into anti-government websites, which was previously merged with the Action Plan to Fight Reactionarysm case. The indictment recalls that Başbuğ referred to the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism as a “piece of paper” in a move aiming to downplay the plot and the discovery of light anti-tank weapons found hidden underground in İstanbul’s Poyrazköy district -- stored by the coup plotters for future use, the prosecution says -- as “pipes.”

The plan in the said official document dated March 2006, which the Taraf daily reported in a front page story with the headline, “Anti-AK Party and Gülen Plan,” included this: “The actions will be planned in a way so as to not to give the impression that the daily agenda is being changed. It will be argued that the supporters of Fethullah Gülen are directly attacking the Turkish Armed Forces. Random raids will be carried out in houses of this movement; weapons, illegal materials and ammunition will be planted in these houses, and they will be confiscated during the raids to ensure that the Fethullah Gülen group is identified as an armed terrorist organization that can be prosecuted by military officers. The issue of moderate Islam will be specifically stressed; to this end, it will be argued that the FG group is controlled by the US. Reports will be published in the papers to argue that the military servicemen who were arrested in connection with the Ergenekon case are innocent and that they were detained because of their fight against fundamentalism. Raids on houses will be conducted and in these raids, arms and ammunitions as well as symbolic objects indicating the FG group is affiliated with Jewish organizations, the CIA, Mossad, etc. will be seized. Measures will be taken to ensure that in these raids, documents and brochures that provoke hatred and enmity against Alevis are discovered. Further moves will be made to ensure that AKP members make conflicting statements in an attempt to give the impression that there are serious disagreements within the party.”

Would it be surprising to see that this plan is still being implemented by someone? We have a daunting task of making a new constitution ahead of us. The struggle will continue there too

Published on Today's Zaman, 12 January 2012, Thursday

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