Monday, 26 January 2009
The legitimacy of a state disappears if it fails to punish people who keep guns, bombs, blackmailing tapes, or action plots in an attempt to create chaos in the country. Therefore Turkey has to pursue the Ergenekon case (the Untouchables case) until the end for its own sake.
The Ergenekon investigation has been named with the waves of operations since 12 June 2007, and the whole process either looks like Pandora’s Box or the Russian Matryoshka dolls. As the Ergenekon investigation furthers, expectations are rising and hope emerges to shed a light on the numerous unresolved cases and assassinations of the past. As we reach the tenth wave of the Ergenekon investigation, Turkey has yet to discover the secrets of the past, but with solid evidence, it is on the right track to achieve that. Although more and more evidence is found with every new wave of operation, there is a deliberate attempt to undermine the investigation process.
There are reasons for public confusion regarding Ergenekon, as the hand grenades found in Ümraniye - Istanbul in 12 June 2007 alone didn’t initially give an impression that we were facing a major, Gladio type organization.
Full-Scale Ammunition Depots
However, as the investigations furthered, over 90 people (including very popular generals, chiefs of police, a party leader, a union leader) were arrested and hundreds were taken into custody, which revealed that the organization was much larger than predicted. With no doubt, the discovered weapons in the depots, such as Uzis, Glocks, Barettas, TNTs and C4 explosives, as well as Kanas and anti-tank weapons prove that the organization we are facing is likely to be a major and a dangerous one.
But the problem is to find out the connection between the confiscated weapons and tried persons. Because the public is very impatient, the investigation has turned into a war between the ones who claim that the detained persons are guilty and those who claim they are innocent before the end of the investigation. Bringing such large scale organization which managed to root itself deep in the government and segment of the society to court is difficult, therefore the public has to encourage and support the investigation from beginning to end. Many government officials, including former prime ministers (including Bülent Ecevit, Mesut Yżlmaz), have said that they were aware of some sort of an illegal organization but none managed to come close enough to discover and expose it as we are today. Turkey is turning a critical point with this investigation for the sake of the rule of law, human rights and freedom. However, the harsh criticism against the investigation undermines the entire process.
Harsh Criticisms
There is nothing wrong with directing criticism towards the investigation process but it is unfair to compare the process to the junta periods or authoritarian/totalitarian periods. Trying to associate the confiscated weapons to the ones – supposedly –hidden underground during the cold-war period, or assuming that these people kept those guns and bombs in their houses as part of their personal hobbies(!), makes no sense. There are also some people who claim that it is not possible to overthrow the government with the confiscated weapons, despite the fact that numerous assassination guns and bombs used in the asymmetric warfare were found during the investigation.
Removing One Brick
First of all, it should be kept in mind that the public prosecutor identifies the organization as a terrorist organization attempting to overthrow a government by obtaining weapons and other means. Thus, the organization is involved with guns and propaganda and these guns are not conventional weapons: they are firearms, assassination guns and plastic explosives which are used to create chaos and keep the public in fear. “There are fears that the organization is associated with the government or even worse, it is part of the government”. The reasons for the fears are mostly because many of the arrested or detained persons are high ranking, high profile public officials. The fears are also ignited with some of those public officials claiming that “if you take one brick out, the state collapses,” which raises the question of where these people are positioned within the state. What triggers even more skepticism is the fact that some of these former officials use the most sacred symbols of the Turkish Nation to defend themselves. It is common to hear statements such as “what I did was for the benefit of my country” despite the fact that many of them are associated with assassins, crime networks, or drug dealers. The members or the supporters of the organization try to put the government and the organization in the same basket.
In the “deep state” structures, when a person is taken to court because of any sort of crime, they usually try to keep quiet or place a distance between the government and themselves in an attempt to prove that they see the state more important than their own personal interest. But in contrary, in Turkey, it is likely for one to sacrifice the government for his/her own interest. This raises the fears that taking one brick out would cause the state to collapse.
New Generation Full-Scale Crime Networks
Turkey will be a stronger state when it manages to find out and remove those who threaten the state itself. Without a doubt, a government will lose its legitimacy if it fails to identify and punish those who keep blackmailing tapes, action plots and maps, guns, bombs and attempt to create chaos in the country. It is essential for Turkey’s existence to pursue and support this investigation until the end.
At this point in time, it is clear that the Ergenekon organization is involved with undermining the government in an attempt to take over it by using their high-level status as well as guns or blackmailing tapes. When we look at the guns and action plots, we can see that we are facing a new generation full-scale crime network which creates chaos in the country to take control of the country and works hand in hand with other terrorist organizations for its own interest.
First Class Democracy
It is odd to see that demanding a first class democracy is perceived as wrong in a constitutional state. Despite “minimizing efforts” by the supporters of the organization, the investigation will contribute to the democratic maturity and the individual rights and freedoms in Turkey. If this investigation sheds a light on the past numerous assassinations or provocative actions, Turkey will promote to the first class in the league of democracies. The state will also turn into a better functioning structure if it manages to clear itself from underground gangs and crime networks.
This is the only way for Turkey to become a first class democratic country. To uphold the rule of law, allows paying full attention to the human rights and guarantees the freedom for the people. The Ergenekon investigation process will lead the government to be better, cleaner, and stronger in the end but a little more patience is necessary.
Ihsan Bal
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