His hand is wounded, but the PM continues his speech. The attempted assassin was apprehended, but many questions remain unanswered. Özal is believed to have said, “I know who is behind this, and I will tell you but don’t tell anyone,” to his brother, Korkut. Nov. 3, 1996, there is a car accident in the Susurluk district of Balikesir, a province located in the west of Turkey. Police Chief Hüseyin Kocadağ and convicted fugitive Abdullah Çatlı were killed in the accident and True Path Party (DYP) member of Parliament Sedat Bucak suffered serious injuries but survived. A few people were punished, but Brig. Gen. Veli Küçük, whose name was also involved in the scandal, was not investigated. The government of the time fails to fight with the Susurluk scandal.
Nov. 9, 2005. A bookstore is bombed in the southeast province of Hakkari’s Semdinli district. Headlines describe it as the “Second Susurluk” because the bombers include a noncommissioned officer, a former PKK member who had confessed wrongdoings and a sergeant major. Prosecutor Ferhat Sarikaya heads the investigation. Sarikaya claims the gang was protected by a group of high-ranking commanders. His claims attracted nationwide debate and ultimately lead to his removal from the post. The suspects were sentenced to 39 years and 10 months in prison. But, the contacts and chain of command of the gang were never investigated.
The year 2006 witnesses striking developments and criminal organizations are revealed one by one. The “Sauna Gang” is headed by a captain from the Special War office, an alleged mafia leader and former deputy police chief. In an operation to break up the gang, police find drawings and maps of important locations and private state documents. The Sauna Gang case is under judicial process.
In March of 2006 in Bursa, a crime gang consisting of a former PKK member who had confessed crimes, Bursa’s state gendarmerie and a sergeant is discovered. One police chief and four police officers are taken into custody.
May 2006. The Council of State is attacked. Lawyer Alparslan Aslan opened fire on the members of the Second Chamber and killed a prominent judge. Initially, the second chamber’s ruling over the headscarf ban sparked debate over laicism and anti-laicism. The assailant was apprehended before he could exit the building. Investigators in the case found links to a nationalist gang. Rt. Brig. Gen. Veli Küçük’s name is also mentioned frequently in association with the case.
In June 2006, in an Atabeyler gang operation, police seized sketches and roadmaps of Prime Minister Erdogan’s home and a few Justice and Development Party (AK Party) officials’ homes. Nine people including a few soldiers were arrested in the operation. Police found a C-4 bomb and hand grenades at the Atabeyler gang headquarters. Following the arrest, the police are prohibited from organizing operations against military personnel without approval from the military.
On Feb. 5, 2006, a 17-year-old boy murders Roman Catholic priest Santaro in Trabzon’s Mavra Church. The boy denies having links to any organization, but media organs publish news claiming the murder had links to a “nationalist” group. The case continues.
Jan. 19, 2007, the Turkish-Armenian editor-in-chief of Agos newspaper, Hrant Dink, is murdered. The assailant is 17 years old and apprehended in 32 hours. The boy denies having links to any organization, but once against the mysterious nationalist gang is brought into the limelight. Dink’s lawyer accuses Veli Küçük of death threats.
The chronology listed above shows that Turkey’s governments have been unable to crack down on gang organizations. There have been great efforts in recent years, but a still a long road lies ahead. Traces can not be concretely linked back to anyone or anything. The AK Party government has achieved significant progress, it has caught the murderer. But, the process after this is more important. The case should be investigated to its very root. Because if governments don’t collapse gang organizations, then gang organizations will attempt to collapse the government. If the gangs mentioned in previous cases had been disbanded, Dink would still be alive today. The high turnout of Turkish citizens at Hrant Dink’s funeral is a message that this problems needs to be solved.
