The Ankara 11th Higher Criminal Court merged the trial -- where Association for the Union of Patriotic Forces (VKGB) head Taner Ünal and the former deputy secretary-general of the same association, Ahmet Cinali, stood accused of knowingly aiding and abetting Ergenekon -- ruled to merge the trial with that of Ergenekon.
Currently, there are two separate trials going on in the case of Ergenekon. The VKGB trial will be merged with the Ergenekon trial based on the first indictment in the case, which started in October 2008.
Both Ünal and Cinali attended yesterday's trial. The court's ruling, a response to a petition from prosecutors, emphasized that there appeared to be an organic link between the VKGB and Ergenekon, although the former was not directly a part of the latter.
Ünal and Cinali will now be tried for aiding and abetting Ergenekon at the 13th İstanbul Higher Criminal Court in Silivri, near İstanbul.
