Recording: Eruygur meant to launch coup while commander

Gen. Eruygur is a prime suspect in the Ergenekon trial, a trial against a clandestine terrorist network charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

In a recording published yesterday on various Web sites, a voice alleged to be that of Mukaddes Eruygur is heard saying that her husband wanted to stage a coup between 2003 and 2004, when he was the commander of the gendarmerie. “When Şener was in the gendarmerie, he wanted to finish up that work [a coup]. All the generals used to have monthly meetings then. Şener said they should have finished it then,” the voice says.

Mrs. Eruygur points to former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök as the main obstacle to the desired coup.

“Hilmi Pasha greatly damaged the country. He sided with them [the government] in principle. He greatly damaged the country as the chief of General Staff. They brought him to that position. He was promoted,” she alleges.

This is not Mrs. Eruygur’s first recorded conversation to be released. Three other recordings were broadcast on a number of news Web sites last year.

In the recording, she also mentions efforts by high-ranking generals to oust the government.

“Our task was a tough one. It was really tough. He [Şener Eruygur] struggled with the government. He struggled with [Özkök]. All [military] commanders were more or less of the same mind. They tried to bring Hilmi round to their point. Şener forced four people to keep silent. He had such power at hand. He struggled against everyone. All commanders struggled against the government. [Former Air Forces Commander Gen. İbrahim] Fırtına was wonderful [in his struggle],” the voice alleged to be Mrs. Eruygur remarked in the recording. Gen. Fırtına was detained last month on suspicion of contribution to an apparent military plot to overthrow the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. He was released after a lengthy interrogation by civilian prosecutors.

The voice went on to say that former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu exerted much effort to prevent Gen. Özkök from succeeding him as the new military chief. “We all witnessed that Gen. Kıvrıkoğlu did his very best. He realized what kind of a person Gen. Özkök was, but it was too late.

Gen. Özkök was the land forces commander then. What were they supposed to do? They tried to extend Gen. Kıvrıkoğlu’s term in office. But they couldn’t manage [it],” the voice says.

The voice alleged to be that of Mrs. Eruygur also criticized the detentions of members of the military as part of the Ergenekon probe.

“They are rushing to detain force commanders. We are concerned. Will force commanders not be allowed to have a word or two when they are together? They are discussing the future of this country. They are discussing what they can do,” she notes. Dozens of retired and active duty members of the military are currently in jail pending trial on charges of membership in a terrorist organization.