March 23, 2012

State of Ergenekon: Alive and kicking

İhsan Yılmaz

Even though some Justice and Development Party (AKP) politicians seem to think that the mafioso deep state -- aka the Ergenekon terrorist organization -- is dead, recent developments have shown once again that it is in good shape, alive and kicking. The deep state tradition in Turkey goes back at least 100 years, and it is not easy to dismantle it. So far only some of its legs and arms have been captured by the judiciary, but not the body, nor the brain.

Only the most recent Uludere incident, which shocked the AKP government, is a telling example that democratic forces are still not in full control of the state. This is the case, despite the fact that we have a ruling party with a 50 percent mandate. Imagine what could happen if today’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) form a coalition government. As soon as they come to power, the bureaucracy will immediately start serving them. These two parties have employed thousands of their ideological fellow travelers in the state bureaucracy, and they keep silent and remain passive nowadays thanks to the strong one-party rule. There are only about 250 people -- some 50 of them in prison -- being tried in Ergenekon cases, and it is obvious that a deep state cannot be run by only 250 people. In addition to the brain there must be many sleeping cells. The recent psychological war campaign launched against some judges, prosecutors and police officers that deal with the case shows that Ergenekon has not given up and, quite to the contrary, it is still very strong.