However, there emerged no strong political desire until recently, to a certain extent, to cleanse the state of illegal elements although unsavory events have continued to take place, further deepening the destabilization of the country.
The ongoing investigation and trials of Ergenekon over almost two years have opened a new stage in revealing unconstitutional and illegal activities in which certain state elements, including top retired generals as well as active officers together with their civilian collaborators, have allegedly been involved.
The Ergenekon investigation that centers on accusations of fomenting an armed uprising to unseat the government, has also helped to unearth other illegal activities allegedly committed by many people perceived as respectable citizens from different professions.
For example, Professor Sevil Atasoy, who used to be the head of İstanbul University's forensic medicine institute, has allegedly been included on a list of nationalists found in the possession of retired Gen. Hurşit Tolon, an Ergenekon suspect, a report published in the Taraf daily on Sept. 25 revealed. She has allegedly been acting upon orders that she has been receiving from the military on forensic medicine reports. In addition, she has allegedly been smearing her colleagues at the same institute.
In the midst of that news came the arrest of the deputy director-general of police over charges of collaborating with a famous drug smuggler.
Last week was another interesting week in terms of bizarre incidents taking place in the country. Col. Ahmet Zeki Üçok, a judge from the Turkish Air Forces Command, who was one of the military prosecutors conducting an investigation into the secret meeting places of officers and War Academy cadets known as Command Centers or Karargah Evleri in Turkish, was arrested at the weekend on charges of allegedly being involved in irregularities. Col. Üçok was arrested by İstanbul police for reportedly issuing false medical reports for celebrities showing their unfitness for military service.
In another incident, it was found that Col. Cemal Temizöz, being tried over charges of being involved in extrajudicial killings in the Kurdish-dominated war-stricken Southeast, had still retained his position in Kayseri township as a gendarmerie commander. This was despite the fact that it was in violation of the military laws on the employment of officers under which those arrested or under investigation should be relieved of their duties until the court gives its verdict. However, the Turkish military did not adhere to this law in the case of Temizöz. Similarly, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has promoted some officers to higher ranks despite the fact that some of them were interrogated in the Ergenekon investigation.
Similarly, retired Gen. Erdal Şenel, who was interrogated before being released as part of the Ergenekon investigation early this year, was accused of owning houses that he allegedly bought as a result of corruption. No judiciary action has been taken against him, either.
In the case of irregularities allegedly committed by civilians, as has been the case in the arrest of the deputy director-general of police, justice has been done to a certain extent despite the existing shortcomings in abiding by fair trial principles.
However, when it comes to higher ranking military personnel, retired or active, the controversial military judicial system is not applied.
The only exceptional case in recent Turkish history has been when Turkey's former chief of general staff, retired Gen. Hilmi Özkök, initiated trials of high-ranking officers including former Navy Forces Commander retired Adm. İlhami Erdil.
Erdil served a jail sentence of around a year for having acquired wealth that was unaccounted for. The trials of now-retired Gen. Ethem Erdağı as well as Gen. Çetin Dizdar over corruption charges, have also become possible under Gen. Özkök.
I now wonder how the TSK will lend -- if it really wants to -- serious and genuine support to the Kurdish reforms while failing to allow the judiciary to do its job in a fair manner during both corruption allegations against some officers and, in particular, against Col. Temizöz under trial by a civilian court over his alleged primary role in extrajudicial killings.
