Ergenekon case

Zaman quoted a senior intelligence officer, Bülent Orakoğlu, as having said that the PKK, Dev Sol, Hezbollah, and Hizb ut-Tahrir are artificial organizations set up by the network, and thatAbdullah Öcalan himself is an Ergenekon member.[126] Zaman also writes that the former PKK leader, Şemdin Sakık, said in his testimony that the Ergenekon network was in close contact with the group and even co-operated with it on several occasions. According to Sakık, he was brought to Turkey by a group of men led by Mahmut Yıldırım, also known as Yeşil (Green)—a convicted mafia leader whose name had surfaced in the report on the Susurluk scandal.[127] He is believed to have been killed shortly after the Susurluk scandal.[128]

Sakık said the Ergenekon gang planned to co-operate with a number of terrorist organizations, including the PKK, to achieve its objectives. "This cooperation was realized with Doğu Perinçek (the leader of the Workers' Party) and several other figures. Cemil Bayık (a senior PKK leader) was also among these figures," he remarked.[129] In another Zaman article, JITEMinformant Abdulkadir Aygan made a similar remark.[130]

Zaman's claims have been disputed.[131] The testimony of Sakık was not released to the press, hence it is not official. PKK's imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, declared before court that Sakık had killed 33 people on Ergenekon's orders.[132]

Öcalan dismissed allegations made by intelligence officer Bülent Orakoğlu concerning himself, but he did say that a group inside the PKK, which he called the Zaza Group, had links with Ergenekon. He said that this group was led by Sait Çürükkaya and tried to seize control of the PKK, adding "Particularly in the Diyarbakır-Muş-Bingöl triangle, they have staged intensive and bloody attacks."[133]

Kurdish Democrat Ahmet Acar alleged that Öcalan instructed the PKK-friendly Democratic Society Party (DTP) to remain silent about Ergenekon.[134]

Lieutenant Mehmet Ali Çelebi, detained in the Ergenekon investigations, allegedly had links with the extreme Islamist group Hizb-ut Tahrir.[135] Çelebi was allegedly the key which made possible the arrest of five Hizb-ut-Tahrir members in September 2008.[133] Hizb-ut Tahrir refutes the allegations.[136]

Responding to allegations in Taraf, DHKP/C issued a press release ridiculing claims of its connection to Ergenekon.[137]

3 November 1996 A traffic accident near the small town of Susurluk, brought illegal organizations to light.

2001 First official document was found related with Ergenekon.

9 November 2005 Two junior officers were caught red-handed during an illegal bombing.

5 February 2006 Father Andrea Santoro was murdered in Trabzon.

5-11 May 2006 Cumhuriyet daily was bombed three times during May 2006.

17 May 2006 Council of State had been attacked; a senior judge was shot dead.

18 January 2007 Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was shot dead in front of his newspaper Agos.

25 March 2007 Nokta journal published “Coup diaries”.

18 April 2007 Three Christians were killed in an attack at a publishing house in Malatya.

12 June 2007 First Wave - 27 hand grenades were found during a police raid to a shanty house in Ümraniye.

26 June 2007 Second Wave - Weapons and explosives were found in Eskişehir.

21 January 2008 Third Wave - Veli Küçük got arrested.

21 February 2008 Fourth Wave - Academics got arrested.

21 March 2008 Fifth Wave – Doğu Perinçek and İlhan Selçuk were detained, Perinçek got arrested.

26 March 2008 Coup diaries were verified.

13 June 2008 Taraf daily unraveled a secret meeting between Osman Paksüt and İlker Başbuğ.

5 July 2008 Sixth Wave - Retired generals got arrested.

7 July 2008 “Eldiven” (Glove) coup plot was discovered.

9 July 2008 American Consulate was attacked.

9 July 2008 Özkök made an interview with the Milliyet daily, he didn’t deny the allegations at the coup diaries.

14 July 2008 First indictment was presented to the court.

23 July 2008 Seventh wave was launched.

14 August 2008 Retired Colonel Arif Doğan was arrested.

3 September 2008 Kocaeli Garrison Commander visited the Ergenekon detainee generals, on behalf of Turkish Armed Forces.

8 September 2008 Eighth wave was launched.

23 September 2008 Ninth wave was launched.

7 January 2009 Tenth Wave-General Kılınç, Major General Şenel and former president of the Higher Education Board, Prof. Kemal Gürüz were arrested.

08 January 2009 Arms caches were unearthed at various places.

14 January 2009 Ergenekon fugitive Brigadier General Levent Ersöz was captured in Ankara.

15 January 2009 Interrogation of Tuncer Kılınç evoked a new debate on “Encümen-i Daniş” (Consultation Council)

22 January 2009 Eleventh wave was launched.

27 February 2009 Voice record of Karadayı was revealed through internet.

06 March 2009 Mustafa Balbay was arrested.

08 March 2009 Death wells were opened.

10 March 2009 Second indictment was submitted.

13 April 2009 Twelfth Wave-University rectors were arrested.

20 April 2009 Arms cache was found in the land belonging to İSTEK Foundation.

18 May 2009 Türkan Saylan died.

4 June 2009 Thirteenth Wave- Army officers are arrested as part of an investigation into the ammunition found in Poyrazköy.

12 June 2009 Taraf daily published a military action plan targeting the ruling JDP and the Gülen community.

25 June 2009 Turkish Parliament paved the way for civilian courts to try military personnel.

30 June 2009 Dursun Çiçek and eight other colonels are investigated by the Ergenekon prosecutors.

16 July 2009 Trial of Colonel Cemal Temizöz with regard to the unsolved murders started.

18 July 2009 Top Court Didn’t Allow Probe of Osman Paksüt.

27 July 2009 HSYK (The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors) and Justice Ministery reached a compromise on the appointment of Ergenekon prosecutors.

 

3 November 1996

The “deep state” phenomenon has surfaced for the first time by a traffic accident near the small town of Susurluk. A police officer, a deputy and a convicted fugitive were in the same car. This accident, which is called as “Susurluk Scandal”, revealed the relations between state, politics and mafia. Civil society supported the investigation by concerted actions called “one minute of darkness for perpetual light”. However, Necmettin Erbakan, then the prime minister, declared allegations as nonsense. Despite huge public support, the investigation proved fruitless due to lack of political backing. Lack of political support was the most evident with regard to Veli Küçük. The retired brigadier general, who is now an Ergenekon detainee, refused to testify in front of the Parliamentary Investigation Commission for Susurluk.

1997

The name Ergenekon, as a clandestine organization, was first pronounced by Erol Mutercimler, a retired naval officer and a current detainee in the Ergenekon case. Soon after him, journalists Can Dündar and Celal Kazdağlı wrote a book entitled Ergenekon, pointing to illegal organizations within state in this name. Official recording of the word also corresponds to these dates. At 10 March 1997, Ümit Oğuztan -a current detainee in the Ergenekon case- wrote a petition for the then ongoing Susurluk Commission. In his petition, he mentioned an organization named Ergenekon, and defined this organization as the Turkish Gladio.

2001

Tuncay Güney, an Ergenekon suspect, and a key witness of Ergenekon probe, had been investigated due to an ordinary fraud case. During the search at Güney’s office, police found documents about the organizational structure of Ergenekon. Further research had led to some reports prepared by police and intelligence services. However no concrete action was taken.

9 November 2005

At 9 November 2005, two junior officers and a PKK informant bombed the Umut Bookstore belonging to Seferi Yılmaz at the Şemdinli district of Hakkari. One person died during this attack; however perpetrators of the attack were caught by bystanders and delivered to police officers. After the public prosecutor came to place for investigation, fire was opened on the crowd and another person lost his life. The investigations showed that, the car used by the assailants belonged to Gendarmerie Forces. Searches within the car revealed a list of 105 people, three Kalashnikovs belonging to Gendarmerie, bombs and plans of various home and workplaces.

The incident grew, when Yaşar Büyükanıt, then Commander of the Army, backed these two junior officers by saying “I know them, they are good men”. Prosecutor, Ferhat Sarıkaya, expanded the investigation with the claim that the unearthed gang might have connections with high ranking officials, however, he was disbarred by the Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges. Two junior officers were sentenced to 39 years. However, the Supreme Court of Appeals decided that a military court should be in charge of the investigation. Both officers were released after their first trial in the military court. Throughout the process, the government was accused by the public for not backing the case just as happened during Susurluk trials.

5 February 2006

Father Andrea Santoro, who was a Catholic priest in the Santa Maria Church in Trabzon, was murdered by a 16 year old ultranationalist. The murderer was caught after two days with his gun.

5-11 May 2006

At 5, 10 and 11 May 2006, Cumhuriyet daily, a staunchly Kemalist newspaper, has been target of hand grenades three times. Initially, the journal accused the Islamists for being the perpetrators of the attacks, and for aiming to intimidate the Kemalist journal. A large public campaign was started, in which people were called to back the journal and the republic. (Cumhuriyet means republic in Turkish.) However, later on, Ergenekon investigation unearthed that the bombs used in these attacks belonged to the military and has the same cache number with the bombs discovered in Ümraniye, which led to the start of Ergenekon investigation. The journal itself accepted that the bombings were Ergenekon operations two years later, on 15 July 2008.

17 May 2006

While the political tension was rising, due to the bombings of Cumhuriyet daily, Alparslan Arslan, who was later discovered to be the perpetrator of these bombings, had attacked the Council of State leaving a senior judge dead. Initially the attack was linked to Islamist extremists, while Alparslan Arslan, found guilty of the Council of State killing, also said he attacked the court in protest of an anti-headscarf ruling it had made. But Ergenekon investigation discovered evidence that, he was connected with Ergenekon. In 17 December 2008, both cases; the bombing of Cumhuriyet and the attack on the Council of State, were merged under the Ergenekon case.

18 January 2007

Editor in Chief of Agos daily, Hrant Dink was shot dead in front of his newspaper Agos, by a 17 year old ultranationalist. The assassin, Ogün Samast, was captured the same day. Hrant Dink was sentenced by the article 301 of Turkish penal code, which punishes denigrating Turkishness. Most of the people who had been involved in filing Dink’s case, are now imprisoned due to Ergenekon case, pointing to the possible involvement of Ergenekon in this murderous plot. After the assassination, Dink’s family declared that, Hrant Dink was suspicious of Veli Küçük’s desire to kill him.

25 March 2007

A weekly journal Nokta, published the diaries of retired Commander of Navy Özden Örnek. Diaries revealed that during 2004, top commanders in Turkish Armed Forces were plotting a coup d’etat. The mastermind of the plot was seen as Şener Eruygur, a key suspect in Ergenekon investigation. Örnek denied the diaries and claimed that he had never written them, and filed against the journal. Following week, the headquarters of Nokta was raided by the police and later on Nokta terminated itself due to increasing pressure. However, in the case of investigation, in Mart 2008, it is technically proven that diaries were taken from the personal computer of Özden Örnek. These diaries constitute the backbone of the second Ergenekon indictment, submitted on 10 March 2009.

18 April 2007

Three months after the Dink assassination, a publishing house in Malatya was attacked and three Christians, one of whom is a German citizen were killed. Likewise in the Dink assassination, the perpetrators were ultranationalist youngsters and they were linked with some of the key Ergenekon suspects. This case was also later merged with Ergenekon on 21 November 2008.

 

12 June 2007

First Wave-27 hand grenades were found during a police raid to a shanty house in Ümraniye.

27 hand grenades were found during a police raid to a shanty house in Ümraniye. These bombs have the same cache number with the bombs used during the bombings of Cumhuriyet daily. Later, the investigation revealed links with these bombs and the retired officer Muzaffer Tekin. Muzaffer Tekin has links with the Council of State shooter Alparslan Arslan, and also with the retired general Veli Küçük and lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz. This started the process that led to unearthing of Ergenekon. This police raid and subsequent arrests were later called as the first wave of Ergenekon. In this first wave, the retired Captain Muzaffer Tekin, retired Junior Officers Oktay Yıldırım and Mahmut Öztürk and Bekir Öztürk, head of an ultranationalist group called Kuvva-yı Milliye, were arrested.

26 June 2007

Police raided a house belonging to the mother of the retired Major Fikret Emek and found large amounts of weapons and explosives. Emek has been arrested. Later as the investigation deepened, writer Ergun Poyraz, retired Captain Gazi Güder and four other people got arrested

21 January 2008

31 people including retired Brigadier General Veli Küçük, retired Colonel and also head of an ultranationalist group called Kuvva-yı Milliye, Fikri Karadağ, retired Captain Mehmet Zekeriya Öztürk, lawyer Kemal Kerinçsiz, Akşam columnist Güler Kömürcü, the spokesperson of the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate Sevgi Erenerol, Susurluk case convict Sami Hoştan, mafia leaders Sedat Peker, Ali Yasak (known as Drej Ali) and Ümit Oğuztan got arrested. During the interrogation of the suspects, police reached to a death list which includes, Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk, journalist Fehmi Koru, mayor of Diyarbakır Osman Baydemir, and deputies of DTP Ahmet Türk, Sabahat Tuncel and former deputy Leyla Zana. According to the list, Orhan Pamuk was the first target and even two people were hired for the assassination.

21 February 2008

Associate Professors Emin Gürses and Ümit Sayin, journalist Vedat Yenerer, businessman Hayrettin Ertekin and Muammer Karabulut got arrested.

21 March 2008

13 people including Doğu Perinçek, leader of the Workers’ Party, Kemal Alemdaroğlu, former president of İstanbul University, İlhan Selçuk, chief columnist of the Cumhuriyet daily were detained. Alemdaroğlu and Selçuk were released, while Perincek was arrested.

26 March 2008

Coup diaries that had been published at the April of 2007, by Nokta journal were techically proven to be extracted from the personal computer of Özden Örnek. Alper Görmüş, chief editor of Nokta journal acquitted from the cases filed against him, but the court also ruled that there is no need for further investigation. These diaries are part of the second indictment of Ergenekon case.

13 June 2008

5 July 2008

Police detained the former Commander of the Gendermarie General Şener Eruygur, former Commander of the 1. Army General Hurşit Tolon, Sinan Aygün, a businesman and the chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), and Mustafa Balbay, Cumhuriyet's Ankara representative. Eruygur and Tolon were arrested, while Balbay and Aygün were released, but Balbay got arrested again at 06 March 2009.

7 July 2008

Documents that were found in the office of Şener Eruygur, revealed a third coup plan other than the two plans that were revealed by the coup diaries. After the failure of Yellow girl and Moonlight, Eruygur seems to have lost the support of the other commanders, and according to the Eldiven document, he planned a coup himself. During the same search, it is also revealed that Eruygur filed documents about the then Chieff of Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt.

9 July 2008

Three police officers and the assault were shot dead during the fight. It is found that Erkan Kargın, one of the assailants, had several phone contacts with some of the Ergenekon suspects.

9 July 2008

At the interview he gave to Milliyet daily, Hilmi Özkök, former Chieff of Staff didn’t deny the allegations that, during his term some of the top commanders had been involved in a coup plot. When asked about testifying in front of the court, he said that he would think about it when the time comes. At April 2009, he secretly testified to the prosecutors of Ergenekon investigation.

 

14 July 2008

First indictment was presented to the court.

First indictment was presented to the 13th Branch of the Istanbul Court for Serious Crimes and the court accepted the indictment at 25th of July, thus the trial started officially. Suspects arrested after the fifth wave and the allegations related with coup diaries are not included in this indictment. Detainees between the sixth and tenth waves and the coup diaries are included in the second indictment. The first indictment is 2455 pages long and it includes many shady events in Turkey’s history like the assassination of Uğur Mumcu, a prominent journalist and the Gazi events and the recent attacks on the Cumhuriyet buildings and the attack on the Council of State.

23 July 2008

A new wave of arrests in the Ergenekon investigation has targeted senior members of the Workers' Party, and staff members of the conservative Milli Çözüm (National Solution) magazine. According to reports, police detained 26 people around the country under the direction of the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office.

14 August 2008

Police raided the home of retired colonel Arif Doğan, and found large amounts of explosives and weapons (2 kalashnikoves, 1000 bullets, 1000 empty bullets and 280 hand grenades). Doğan was arrested. Doğan has worked as the Diyarbakır chief of JİTEM before Veli Küçük. With his arrest, the Ergenekon probe has passed towards the east of Euphrates, meaning that illegal acts and organizations formed during the war on terror in the Southeastern Turkey will be investigated for the first time. In the course of investigation, it is found that Doğan had transferred one million dollars to one of his relatives in USA, while he was serving at Yalova. The source of the money is yet unidentified.

3 September 2008

Three days after the appointment of İlker Başbuğ as the new Chieff of Staff, Kocaeli Garrison Commander Lieut. Gen. Galip Mendi paid a visit to imprisoned generals Şener Eruygur and Hurşit Tolon. The visit is made public by a statement posted on the website of General Staff. The statement declared that, the visit is made on behalf of the Turkish Armed Forces.

18 September 2008

At the eighth wave of arrests at Ergenekon probe, acting officers are arrested for the first time. Five lieutenants and a military school student, Levent Temiz, former head of Nationalist Hearths, artist Nurseli İdiz and talent agent Seyhan Soylu are among the eleven detainees. The lieutenants are accused to be part of Headquarter Homes (Karargah Evleri), a sub branch of Ergenekon.

23 September 2008

Sixteen more people were arrested including journalist Tuncay Özkan, a former police chief Adil Serdar Saçan and former mayor of Esenyurt district of Istanbul Gürbüz Çapan.