Some Ergenekon defendants had filed a criminal complaint against Tayyar, claiming that he had violated the confidentiality of the Ergenekon investigation and had attempted to affect legal jurisdiction with his book. Some of the claims put forth in Taylar’s book could potentially work against the defendants’ case, according to the plaintiffs. In the indictment the prosecutor demanded that Tayyar receive a sentence of between one-and-a-half and six years.
In Thursday’s trial at an İstanbul court, in which the case’s prosecutor has been changed, Tayyar was present as a suspect, but plaintiffs Muzaffer Tekin, Veli Küçük and Osman Yıldırım could not attend as they are currently incarcerated in Silivri Prison. The chief judge said the book exceeded the boundaries of informing the public, warning and criticizing. The court gave Tayyar a one-year suspended sentence that was later increased to one year, three months, for committing the crime through the press. An additional five months were added to the sentence for trying to affect legal jurisdiction. The suspect will be under judicial supervision for five years and will be imprisoned if he commits a crime within that period.
“I am ashamed of the decision on behalf of the law. Before the former prosecutor read his statement, the new prosecutor said he agreed. However, the statement was as though it had been prepared about another book, not mine. The ruling will remain like the sword of Damocles hanging over me,” Tayyar said speaking to reporters after the trial.
While highlighting that the ruling will take its place in the history of law as a bad example, Tayyar continued: “The judge’s justification was not legal. Such decisions prevent people from criticizing the Ergenekon case.”
