Dozens of individuals, including retired generals, have been taken into custody in the Ergenekon operation. The group has been indicted on terrorism charges and attempting to overthrow the government, while it is also suspected of having masterminded a series of assassinations and attacks in Turkey. Supporters of the operation say if Turkey does not get rid of such illegal formations in the state, which have dealt substantial damage to it so far, it is very likely that the country will fail in its struggle to fully democratize. Bugün's Mehmet Metiner emphasizes the need for Turkey to come to terms with the Ergenekon mentality, which he roughly defines as a mixture of neo-nationalism and fascism. "This is an ideological totalitarian and authoritarian understanding which deifies the state, puts all the citizens in a melting pot, sees differences as a threat and regards democracy as a threat to the republic. Those with the Ergenekon mentality in Turkey see themselves as the owners of not only the republic but also the country and the nation," explains Metiner. He further clarifies that those with the Ergenekon mentality see the people's choices at the ballot box as a threat to the republic; hence, they think military coups are necessary. "If they could not carry out a coup while they were on active duty, they engage in activities in their retirement that will pave the way to coups," says Metiner, indirectly referring to retired generals Hurşit Tolon and Şener Eruygur, who were detained as part of the Ergenekon operation for plotting to topple the government. In Metiner's view, if Turkey fails to deal with the Ergenekon mentality, it may turn into a dictatorial republic such as those that can be observed in the Middle East.
Taraf's Sezin Öney talks about what the Ergenekon gang and its acts cost Turkey during its journey to become a democratic country. "There is one thing for sure as more information and allegations surface about the Ergenekon gang: Turkey made a series of fatal mistakes that caused it to lose the 1990s. Secret formations that were supposed to be eliminated with the end of the Cold War became more active through the exploitation of the Kurdish issue. They turned into a monster that feeds off all kinds of illegal actions, from drug trafficking to human smuggling," says Öney. After observing the signs that police will attempt to fully expose the activities of the Ergenekon gang in this operation, she remarks that Turkey is currently going through a time similar to one that central and eastern European countries went through in the 1990s. "The era of real politics is slowly starting in Turkey," she adds.
Sabah's Nazlı Ilıcak compares the Susurluk case -- a car accident in 1996 in which close links between a police chief, an internationally sought-after mafia boss and a southeastern Kurdish tribal leader were exposed -- with the Ergenekon case. In her view, they are not the same. She explains by saying: "It is possible to talk about Susurluk as a corrupt gang that was in pursuit of its interests. Nevertheless, Ergenekon is a formation that tries to steer the country in the direction it wants, aims to shape the social and political arenas and sees threats, pressure and even the use of violence as legitimate ways to achieve such goals." She states that some of the individuals who were interrogated and put in jail after the Susurluk case might have been a part of the Ergenekon gang; however, she says, the Susurluk investigation was limited to several police officers; hence the bigger picture could not be seen.
