Ergenekon defendant Balbay remains silent on notes

Balbay’s cross-examination continued on Monday in the 19th hearing at the İstanbul 13th Higher Criminal court, following his defense testimony earlier last week. In his cross-examination, Balbay simply refused to give full answers to the prosecution’s questions regarding notes kept in his personal journal, saying the notes were simply parts of his “journalistic activities.” The current trial is one of two separate trials into Ergenekon. This one is based on the second and third indictments prepared so far in the case, and is referred to as the “second Ergenekon trial.”

He was also questioned about his defense testimony delivered on Thursday. He told the judges of the İstanbul 13th Higher Criminal Court that he believed the indictment was riddled with inconsistencies. He said: “I reject all accusations. I haven’t incited people to unarmed revolt, let alone inciting them to armed revolt.” Balbay also said that journal entries allegedly kept by him had been modified, claiming the entries were not written in the order in which they were listed in the indictment. In yesterday’s trial, Balbay was asked to clarify what part or parts of the entries were modified by the prosecution. However, he was unable to do this, saying he could not remember all the details pertaining to the notes kept over a lengthy span of time between 1998 and 2005.

In yesterday’s hearing, he also did not respond to questions about his relationship with certain individuals, including Ergenekon suspects Şener Eruygur, Levent Ersöz and Hasan Atilla Uğur, who are frequently mentioned in his journal entries. He was also reluctant to elaborate on meetings regularly held with this group in Ankara’s Kent Hotel.

Balbay was unable to respond to the prosecutor’s question: “You quoted Şener Eruygur’s words ‘We can break up the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] in the medium term.’ This appears to be in line with the Moonlight coup plan [devised by a group of accused generals]. Why were these illegal plans shared with you? Did you use these notes that you took at this meeting in a story?”

Another question asked was: “You wrote: ‘Now is not the right time for a coup. Not like Feb. 28. What we should do for now is intimidate them.’ Did you write a news story about this meeting?”

Yet another question Balbay did not give a response to was: “Why were you given National Security Council [MGK] meeting minutes that are supposed to be confidential? Can you explain your words, ‘We should eliminate all those in the MGK?’ Can you explain what this note means: ‘A search of a house will take place in Manisa. Bülent Arınç called the prosecutor and told him to be careful to not break anything in the house for most of the items belong to his mother.’ You also say you found this information from someone named Şener. Who is this person?” The prosecution also asked the question: “In your notes on a meeting between Levent Ersöz and Hasan Atilla Uğur, you stated that ‘media bosses should be pushed.’ Why did you say these words? What was your purpose in giving advice to two military officers on duty?” Another question that went unanswered by Balbay was: “In your notes, you said that a new ‘study group’ had been established to replace the Western Study Group [the architect of the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed intervention]. Can you explain this?”

In his testimony, Balbay also stated that he has known Mustafa Özbek since 2004. Özbek is the former head of the metal industry workers’ union Türk-Metal and is also standing trial as a suspect in the Ergenekon trial. He stated that Özbek had asked him to lead a new party to be founded by Özbek, but he did not accept as he sees himself as an integral part of the Cumhuriyet daily.

During this cross-examination, Balbay said the prosecutors were trying to make Atatürkists look like terrorists. He continued providing no answers, or gave evasive answers to prosecutors’ questions. He was particularly angered when he was asked if the person mentioned in his notes by the initials İ.S was İlhan Selçuk. He said it was impossible to not be exasperated by accusations of terrorism directed at a journalist over his daily notes. Presiding Judge Köksal Şengün called on him to calm down. “You will have to face questions that you find difficult or irritating. You will need to answer these questions with calm. Please calm down,” he said.