The Ergenekon case is also a litmus test, as we are witnessing how people who have lost hope of coming to power through the vote of the public are expressing that they are against coups and coup leaders but doing everything they can to prevent junta supporters from being prosecuted.Semi-official academics took to the stage to say that “a coup is a thought crime, so you cannot try a coup.” If that isn't catching them red-handed, then I don't know what is. In unison, the people cynically responded: “Do you see a power that can try coup leaders? Have you ever before seen a coup leader be tried?”
The same goes for amendments on trying coup and junta leaders in civilian courts that are awaiting the president's approval. Even those who thought the “Republican People's Party (CHP) plus the military equals ruling power (CHP + military = power)” formula was forgotten have their eyes wide open now. While a National Security Council (MGK) meeting was still in session, CHP leader Deniz Baykal assured during his group meeting in Parliament that the president would come to his senses within the next few hours.
Another issue is that we've gone back to the days when an “anonymous senior military officer” released bits of information. In effort to issue discreet threats, as was the case during the Feb. 28 process, reports based on anonymous generals are being released. Chief of the General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ spoke during the MGK meeting. He then met with the president in a small meeting. Before that, he organized a press conference. So who is this senior military officer? Is there another focal figure in the General Staff and is this person's spokesman talking to the media? Why isn't Başbuğ reacting to these news? Isn't he bothered by the image of a two-headed General Staff?
The issue that bothers us the most is that for 60 years hundreds of bloody and dark events have not been exposed and for 60 years the perpetrators of unsolved murder cases have not been found. An honorable state, honorable leaders and a country of 70 million cannot bear this kind of weight. Susurluk continues to bother us, Şemdinli continues to bother us and Ergenekon continues to bother us. Let us recall Şemdinli: On Nov. 9, 2005, two noncommissioned officers and an outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) informant bombed a bookstore in Şemdinli. One person was killed in the incident. When some people spotted weapons in their car, a group of people tried to lynch the assailants. Yet another group tried to prevent the lynching.
A few hours later, a prosecutor and CHP Hakkari deputy Esat Canan were examining the car when they were fired upon. One more person was killed during the incident. The two suspected noncommissioned officers were given 39 years imprisonment by the civilian Van 3rd High Penal court. Now brace yourself. The 9th Penal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals decided the case was outside the jurisdiction of the civilian court and referred the case to the military judiciary. The suspects were released after the first hearing and the case is still ongoing in the military court. An on-site investigation was conducted about 10 days ago, but none of the witnesses were called to join the investigation. For example, Canan was not summoned. “Put aside the debates on the military judiciary, the civilian judiciary in Turkey is not even civilian. The civilian judiciary is not objective and independent. Only the people the military says should be arrested are arrested and the people that the military says should be released are released,” Canan told Neşe Düzel of the Taraf daily the other day.
No one should forget Şemdinli. I invite the media and the CHP leaders who want to put pressure on the president to veto the bill to answer these questions: Was the bookstore that was bombed in Şemdinli located on military grounds? Is it a military duty to bomb a bookstore, to kill people, to open fire on the state's prosecutor and the nation's deputy, and to kill innocent civilians? Was there a crime committed against the military? Then why is the Şemdinli case being handled by a military court? Those who try to hide the truth will be disappointed because the truth will come out.
