The chaos on the first day of the trial led to disappointment among some who had been eagerly awaiting the trial while others maintain their hopes that this trial will pave the way for a more democratic Turkey despite all odds. Sabah's Mahmut Övür considers the Ergenekon trial the second Susurluk affair, which in 1996 exposed the relationship between a police chief, a Kurdish deputy who led his personal army against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and an internationally sought mafia boss. The affair was covered up, then. He is hopeful that Ergenekon will not share the same fate as Susurluk. "Allegations that the scope of this case is too large because it consists of hundreds of dossiers and that its judicial process is unhealthy and in breach of the law could be discussed for a long time; however, this case has two concrete aspects relevant to Turkey's democratization," says Övür. As the first important aspect of this case, he states that if the Ergenekon trial proves there is link between the bombs used in the Council of State attack of 2006 and the Cumhuriyet daily attack the same year and the bombs found in raids in Ümraniye and Eskişehir, it will be a historic turning point. As for the second important aspect, he mentions that Turkey will for the first time witness the trials of two generals, noting that this trial might turn into a case against coup attempts. "Actually, politics, the state and even the public have entered a situation that they are not very used to. Influential figures who turned out to have committed crimes for the sake of the state in the Susurluk case and those who made coup plans yesterday are being tried as ordinary people today in a civilian court. Turkey is taking steps for the better," he adds.
Zaman's Mümtaz'er Türköne says although Ergenekon suspects who have been involved in crimes are on trial, the whole Ergenekon group is not on trial because there are still people in society who have the Ergenekon mentality. "The Ergenekon terror organization is being tried in line with the evidence collected by prosecutors; however, the Ergenekon mentality continues to live on around us as a pathological disease, and it is mobilized to influence the course of this trial. Judges fulfill their duties of trying those who committed crimes, and we should fulfill our duty and wage a democratic war against those with the Ergenekon mentality," suggests Türköne.
Milliyet's Derya Sazak complains about the physical problems and intolerable conditions of the courtroom, which almost led to the postponement of the trial. "A case whose preparation process lasted for months should not have started like this. Even the military courts of the Sept. 12, 1980 regime provided a comfortable environment for journalists and lawyers to do their jobs. It should have been foreseen that a 200-seat courtroom would not be sufficient for a trial in which there are 86 suspects, considering their lawyers and the extensive media interest," says Sazak.
