But the fact that it failed to achieve its target does not make it less significant. There is a plethora of enlightening information between the lines of the plan. For example, even though the details of the first activity that was envisioned under the plan’s execution stage are blood curling, it provides serious clues on the games that have been going on for years in Turkey and the Muslim world.The plan reads “[the plan] will be enforced after major simultaneous separatist terror organization and al-Qaeda attacks take place in big cities, especially in İstanbul and after other mentioned activities. Due to the chaos and disorder created as a result of the wide participation in social demonstrations and protests that we will coordinate and manage at universities and civil society organizations, first a state of emergency and then martial law will be declared.”
Not only is it disconcerting that a military plan refers to terror organizations as an operational force but it’s petrifying that nine months after these sentences were written, al-Qaeda organized major simultaneous attacks in İstanbul just as had been mentioned in the plan. Without a doubt this is a horrific situation yet it also provides us with a historic opportunity. It gives us an opportunity that goes beyond holding those who prepared the coup plan accountable. Revealing a connection between al-Qaeda and organizations like Ergenekon will mean exposing an established mechanism based on Islamophobia in Turkey and worldwide. If we take into account how the attacks of the al-Qaeda organization in many countries in the East and West starting with the US on Sept. 11, 2001 and continuing in London, Madrid, İstanbul, Islamabad, Mumbai and Bali created a nightmare about Islam and Muslims, then we can understand how revealing a connection between these organizations would do a great service to both Muslims and the entire world.
If the secret links behind this cruelty, which does not spare anyone whether they are adults or children, innocent or guilty, Muslim or atheist, are to be exposed one day, then it’s unlikely that it will happen in any country other than Turkey.
After all, the efforts of prosecutors, police and gendarmerie to crack down on dark connections in Turkey following the publication of pieces of the Sledgehammer plan, is hopeful. The most striking announcement on the matter came from İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler the other day. Güler claimed there are links between al-Qaeda members who carried out the simultaneous attacks in İstanbul and Ergenekon suspects. Noting that there were links between suspects arrested during police raids conducted against al-Qaeda in 16 provinces, which led to the detention of 120 people, and suspects mentioned in the second Ergenekon indictment, Güler said he believes the truth will come out once documents belonging to the organization are analyzed in detail. According to reports in the media, two organization leaders identified as M.D and M.K are acting in collaboration with Ergenekon fugitive Turhan Çömez. In light of this information, files related to the intelligence monitoring process prior to the horrific al-Qaeda attacks in İstanbul in November 2003 will need to be re-examined.
Just as revealing that the attack against the Council of State, which was carried out under the guise of punishing those who voted against the headscarf, was actually a plan designed by Ergenekon to put religious people and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government in a tough position and to lay the groundwork for a coup would be significant for Turkey, revealing that al-Qaeda is actually used by anti-Islamic forces would have worldwide significance.
If we were to think back a little, we would recall that at a time when there was no indication of a connection between Ergenekon and al-Qaeda, one newspaper, which reported on the Council of State attack with the headlines “Turkey’s September 11,” had already established a connection.
If the Muslim world and its beloved country Turkey are to ever normalize, then the games that have been going on around the world for a very long time must be exposed. In this respect, plans are starting to being exposed in Turkey and the public is voicing their demand for clarification in a louder tone. These are promising developments. Former undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization Cevat Öneş’s analysis of the Sledgehammer plan and former military judge Faik Tarımcıoğlu’s remarks about these types of efforts having external connections is vital. Exposing the trap in Turkey and ruining the game will have positive effects not only on different segments in Turkey but on the entire world.
