Baransu said he wonders what the General Staff will do next about the document, which it once defined as a “piece of paper.” The original version of the plot was sent to İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin on Friday by a military officer whose name was not made public. The document allegedly bears a genuine signature. In June, the Taraf daily published evidence of a plot, allegedly designed by a colonel on active duty, that was seized by security forces in the home of the lawyer of a retired colonel arrested earlier this year on charges of membership in Ergenekon, a clandestine organization accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
According to the plot, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had a systematic plan to damage the image of the AK Party government and the Gülen movement in the eyes of the public, to play down the Ergenekon investigation and to gather support for members of the military arrested as part of the Ergenekon inquest.
The plot was undersigned by Col. Dursun Çiçek and created a huge public outcry, with most analysts terming it yet another attempt by the military to actively interfere in politics. The TSK, however, denied possession of the plot and said it was a “piece of paper” aimed at undermining the credibility of the armed forces.
The authenticity of the document was highly disputed, as the document confiscated was a photocopy, but a report prepared by the Gendarmerie General Command's Criminal Investigation Department stated that the signature on the plan resembled that of Col. Çiçek. The colonel was arrested by a civilian court in July on suspicion of being linked to the plot but was later released after his lawyer submitted an appeal. His immediate release created controversy. He has also testified to prosecutors investigating Ergenekon.
“I wonder what Col. Çiçek will say. If Çiçek alone is blamed for the plot, then he will have to speak,” Baransu said. The reporter also claimed that the General Staff ordered newspapers to play down the plot story. “After our report on the plot, then-Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Hasan Iğsız invited the Ankara representatives of several newspapers for a meeting. Those who attended that meeting should speak. Otherwise, I will continue to seek the truth behind this issue,” Baransu said.
The reporter also said he is waiting for an apology from all journalists and columnists who attempted to discredit the plot by calling it a “piece of paper.” “I am left no time to focus on journalism because I spend so much time in courts. I am so happy that the truth has been revealed. What I will do next is to follow newspapers and their reports on this issue. I hope all journalists will act with dignity,” Baransu added.
