TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu: Ergenekon case needs more focus

In an interview with Today's Zaman, Hisarcıklıoğlu spoke about recent political developments in Turkey, touching upon Ergenekon, a clandestine organization that planned to overthrow the government, and the democratic initiative, stressing that “all 72 million people in Turkey should stand up against military coups.”

Regarding the Ergenekon case, Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that the case had lost focus. “The Ergenekon case has been watered down, since all of the cases have been thrown into one bag. The important thing [in this case] is to focus on specific subjects, and go through this case point by point so that no elements are overlooked. … Many operations have attempted to and have succeeded in interfering in Turkey’s democracy, but today the people responsible should be tried for attempted coups. Any interference in Turkey’s democracy will result in a violation of citizens’ rights,” he said.

Speaking on whether his organization has made recommendations regarding the democratic initiative, Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “We don’t make political recommendations; we can only express our thoughts and opinions on issues. Regarding this issue, we’ve made our views clear and continue to make them clear to our ministers, the prime minister and at various other government platforms.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu, the president of the largest business organization in Turkey, spoke on the relative silence of his organization during some of the most turbulent times of the republic’s history, noting that TOBB had said what it needed to say before events like the Cage plan unfolded, and that they continue to stand by their words. “We last explained our stance on current issues in Turkey in May of this year. We said that ‘we want a lifestyle that protects the republic’s achievements, our values and a lifestyle comparable to global standards. We want a country that improves upon the freedoms that we have. We want a justice system that is just and not easily swayed by power. We want a justice system that protects the innocent first. We want a Turkey where politics does not spill out of the political playing field.’ TOBB, as an organization, said all of this before these new ordeals played out, and we still stand behind what we said. What we said binds us to act accordingly,” he noted.

On the justice system in Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that any kind of outside interference in the justice system should not be tolerated by the public and continued to stress that justice is the fundamental basis for nations around the world. “As soon as we let the justice system slip, allowing outside interventions to muddle the system, then we will lose our position as a global nation. People in the field of law in the United States are the most respected class of professionals. Why is this? Because society places a great deal of importance on ensuring that justice does not become muddled. They know that if it did, the entire society would lose out. The honor of the Republic of Turkey is based on the principle of justice,” he said.

“It is therefore crucial that there is no outside interference in the trial [of Ergenekon]. Everyone will need the judicial system to function normally, so it is crucial that no one is able to interfere in it. Truth and justice will find their place in this process,” stated Hisarcıklıoğlu.

When asked about whether the various chambers of TOBB were divided along political lines regarding the democratic initiative, Hisarcıklıoğlu first revealed his thoughts about the initiative, noting that had the Constitution been completely rewritten, there would have been no need for the initiative. “For the initiative to be successful, everyone needs to contribute to it,” stated Hisarcıklıoğlu. On the topic of different points of view within the union, Hisarcıklıoğlu added that “it is impossible for everyone to be on the same point regarding political views, and it is completely normal for everyone to be at different points on the political spectrum. But we as a union are not divided among these viewpoints. The important thing is that these viewpoints can exist on the same platform without fighting amongst each other.”