Links between ‘assassins’ and shady gangs under spotlight

Ergenekon is a shadowy group suspected of trying to overthrow the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. Atabeyler is a gang whose plans to assassinate Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were uncovered in 2007.

Two members of the Special Forces Command were detained on Saturday night on suspicion of planning to kill Arınç. Gendarmerie and police teams launched an operation to capture the suspects after they received information that two military officers -- Maj. İbrahim G. and Col. Erkan Yılmaz B. -- were planning to assassinate the deputy prime minister. The teams detected two suspicious vehicles in the vicinity of Arınç's house. One of the vehicles belonged to the General Staff while the other was hired from a private car rental company. Turkish dailies claimed yesterday that one of the officers tried to swallow a piece of paper when he saw the gendarmerie and police teams approaching. The paper featured Arınç's home address. Police also found several maps showing Arınç's house in the two vehicles.

There were also claims that the major and the colonel had hired several vehicles in the past, bringing the question to mind of whether the two were planning to assassinate other high-profile members of the government. A prosecutor at the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court ordered a police search at the homes of the military officers. Police sources said they seized computers and various documents during the search. On Monday, Arınç had a meeting with Ankara Police Chief Orhan Özdemir, reportedly on the assassination plot. The police chief did not make any statements after the meeting.

Bülent Arınç Police thought plot was work of leftist groups Having received information that a plan to assassinate Bülent Arınç had been put into action, Ankara police reportedly focused on leftist groups as the possible instigators of the plot. Police believed it was part of a series of planned attacks on the anniversary of the Hayata Dönüş (Back to Life) operation in 2000, which was staged to end a hunger strike collectively launched by inmates in 20 prisons throughout the country. Thirty-two died and hundreds were injured in the operation, in which 10,000 security officers participated. Arınç, who was the parliament speaker at the time, granted a Supreme Service Medal to Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) member Ali Suat Ertosun for his performance in the operation. Ertosun was then head of the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Centers. Leftists groups accuse Arınç of rewarding the killings that happened in prisons during the notorious operation by awarding Ertosun a medal. Sedat Güneç Ankara

The deputy prime minister had complained on Sunday that members of the AK Party were being turned into targets for crime networks by opposition parties. Addressing the leaders of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Arınç said: “Would it make you happy if something happened to those you consider your enemies?

Will you be shouting chants of victory if someone you don’t like is crawling on the floor? Would that make you happy? Do you think that you would have no responsibility as instigators of the ensuing consequences?”

Prosecutors are focused on possible links Maj. İbrahim G. and Col. Erkan Yılmaz B. have to retired Maj. Muzaffer Tekin, an Ergenekon suspect who is currently in jail. Prosecutors are examining claims that the two officers may have received an assassination order from Tekin. Tekin is accused of urging Alparslan Arslan to carry out the 2006 Council of State attack, which left one senior judge dead, and supplying hand grenades to Osman Yıldırım for a bomb attack against staunchly secular Cumhuriyet daily. Both attacks were aimed at increasing domestic pressure on the AK Party government that could lead to a coup d’état.

There are also claims that the two military officers could have received an order to assassinate Arınç from the Atabeyler gang. Several members of the gang were arrested in 2007 for a planned assassination of Prime Minister Erdoğan and the politicians closest to him, including Cüneyd Zapsu and Murat Aksu.

Eruygur ordered search of Arınç’s mother’s house

Retired Gen. Şener Eruygur, also an Ergenekon suspect, ordered a search at the house belonging to Arınç’s mother on the grounds that acts of reactionaryism were being carried out at the address. Eruygur was the Gendarmerie General Commander at the time.

Manisa Gendarmerie Provincial Commander Col. Erdal Sarızeybek mentioned the search in his book “Ya Gazi Paşa Duyarsa” (What if Gazi Pasha hears?). The founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is also called Gazi Pasha.

“We received intelligence that acts of reactionaryism were being carried at some houses. We leapt into action. One of the houses belonged to the mother of [Bülent] Arınç. We applied to a court for a search warrant. While waiting for the court’s answer, Arınç called me. I did not reply to phone calls for two days. Eruygur was directly interested in the issue. He followed the developments. He ordered that we must not return without searching Arınç’s mother’s house even if the court did not issue a search warrant,” the book reads.

Gov’t spokesperson: Probe should be concluded to teach a lesson

Government spokesperson Cemil Çiçek has called on prosecutors investigating the assassination plot against Arınç to conclude the probe in a way that means lessons will be learned.

“No one is allowed to commit a crime. No one can divert from the boundaries of justice to carry out a duty which is not commissioned for him by the Constitution or other laws. This would be a crime. Our wish and expectation is for the ongoing probe to be concluded in a way that urges everyone to derive the necessary lessons from it,” stated Çiçek on Monday after a Cabinet meeting.

Çiçek also said Arınç had briefed Cabinet members on the assassination plot.

Bekir Bozdağ, deputy chairman of the AK Party parliamentary group, described the assassination plot as a “grave situation.” “We will learn all the details when prosecutors complete their investigation. I cannot tell you much about the plot at the moment. But this is a grave situation,” he stated.