Role of two colonels comes under spotlight in Ergenekon probe

As more and more assassinations and murders are merged with the ongoing Ergenekon investigation, the links between the colonels and the clandestine group are becoming clearer. The cases into the assassinations of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist; Gaffar Okan, a police chief; and Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, a journalist; and the killing of 10 inmates at Ankara’s Ulucanlar Prison and 33 Turkish soldiers in Bingöl have so far been merged with the Ergenekon investigation. Ergenekon is a clandestine terrorist organization charged with attempting to overthrow the government. Dozens of its suspected members have been detained or arrested, among whom are retired and active army members, businessmen and journalists.

Ergenekon prosecutors have found Col. Öz and retired Col. Karadağ at the crossroads of all these bloody incidents, a strong indicator that the two colonels may be key figures in the ongoing investigation. Öz came to prominence following the murder of Dink, who was shot dead by an ultranationalist youth outside his office on Jan. 19, 2007. Öz is accused of disregarding information related to the assassination of Dink.

Two gendarmes testified last March that they had informed their superior officer, Öz -- the Trabzon provincial gendarmerie commander at the time -- of the plot to kill Dink, but they had given false statements during the course of the investigation under pressure from Öz. Retired Lt. Col. Ali Oğuz Çağlar, former Trabzon gendarmerie public security branch director, later confirmed the testimony of the gendarmes.

Col. Öz had been tried previously in a case concerning the 1999 murder of journalist Ahmet Taner Kışlalı. Öz is believed to have arrived at the murder scene first and destroyed most of the evidence.

He was also the head of operations at Ankara’s Ulucanlar Prison, where 10 inmates were killed in September 1999 by security forces because they refused to attend roll call or move to parts of the prison where they had been ordered to go to, as they feared that the transfer would involve solitary confinement.

Öz is also known to have very close ties with major Ergenekon suspects who were arrested last year for suspected links with the organization. Among these suspects with whom Öz had close contact is retired Gen. Veli Küçük.

Karadağ is also implicated in a number of shadowy incidents in the past, which are currently suspected to have been devised by the Ergenekon gang. Karadağ is believed to have arrived at the scene of a terrorist attack perpetrated by a number of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in 1993 in southeastern Bingöl province, which resulted in the deaths of 33 soldiers. Karadağ was suspected of having destroyed evidence at the scene.

Another area where Karadağ’s name has been mentioned in relation to Ergenekon is the 2001 murder of prominent Turkish businessman Üzeyir Garih. According to a report previously published by a Turkish daily, Yener Yermez, who stabbed Garih to death in a cemetery, served as a private under Karadağ at the Hasdal Military Command. His direct superior, Lt. Murat Oğuz, was arrested at some point along with former Ergenekon member Tuncay Güney, now an informant who seems to know a great deal about the organization, on charges of selling stolen automobiles.