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Prosecutors suspect Ergenekon link in Hablemitoğlu murder
For years the case was treated as an unsolved murder since the only evidence investigators had was two empty shells from a Ruger handgun. The İstanbul Prosecutor's Office, reopening the case after over seven years, had gym owner Hakan A. and businessman Hayri B. detained in a police raid earlier this week as part of the investigation. Police are still searching for a third person identified as Cezmi A.
In the initial aftermath of the murder, some had accused the religious Fethullah Gülen community, which was a frequent target of articles written by the secular academic. However, no links could be found to back these claims. Later there were allegations that German foundations were to blame, as Hablemitoğlu campaigned against mining by German companies in Turkey’s forests. Recent detentions, however, indicate that the prosecutors have linked the murder to Ergenekon.
Şengül Hablemitoğlu, widow of the assassinated academic, earlier this year met with family members of other writers, academics and journalists that were victims of unsolved murders. A delegation of victims’ families visited Parliament, where they met with political party representatives, demanding that a special commission be established to investigate these murders and change the statute of limitations for unsolved murders. The government also supports such efforts.
Murder in Ergenekon indictment
 Ertosun linked to Masonic assassination plot A man who had been detained by police for his involvement in a plan to assassinate two high-level Freemasons said in his testimony to the court that he met Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) member Ali Suat Ertosun at the office of Yusuf Erikel, who allegedly ordered the assassinations, the Bugün daily reported yesterday. Hacı Ali Hamurcu was caught by police on Jan. 16 in İstanbul with photos of two leading Masons in his pocket. He said he was acting on orders from Erikel, one of 10 people who were detained on Monday this week as part of an ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon organization. When arrested, Hamurcu was in İstanbul on a one-week home visit from a Kayseri prison, where he is serving time for embezzlement. “While in prison, I was continuously in contact with Erikel. He once gave me a blank check signed by K.P. He later called [retired Gen. and Ergenekon suspect] Hurşit Tolon and asked what amount we should write on it. In response to this, one Ergenekon leader said, ‘Write 10 million [on it]’,” the suspected assassin said. He added that their plan was disrupted because of a disagreement, otherwise he would have murdered two Masons the day he was detained in İstanbul. Testifying to specially authorized İstanbul Public Prosecutor Kasım İlimoğlu, Hamurcu said he saw Ertosun at the office of Erikel twice. He said he also saw Atilla Uğur, a retired colonel at the Gendarmerie General Command and a suspect in the Ergenekon investigation. Erikel is known to have been the lawyer of Ergenekon suspects Kemal and Neriman Aydın. Ertosun is suspected to have links to some of the suspects standing trial in the Ergenekon case. After he demanded the removal of the prosecutors and judges working on the Ergenekon case last summer, various newspapers claimed that he participated in 13 secret meetings held by army officers at the Kent Hotel in İstanbul. In these meetings, participants reportedly discussed the country’s political landscape. The Kent Hotel meetings are also mentioned in the second Ergenekon indictment, which notes that some of Ergenekon’s decisions were made at these meetings. İstanbul Today’s Zaman |
The Hablemitoğlu murder is mentioned in the first indictment prepared in the investigation into Ergenekon. Based on the testimony of a witness whose identity has not been made public for safety concerns, the indictment notes that the phone number of Osman Gürbüz -- Hablemitoğlu’s alleged killer, who, according to the prosecution, acted under orders from retired Gen. Veli Küçük -- was found in a notebook owned by Ergenekon suspect Hüseyin Görüm. Osman Yıldırım, another Ergenekon suspect who was convicted for his role in the 2006 Council of State shooting, had also delivered similar testimony.
One of the witnesses in the trial of Ergenekon claimed in his testimony on Jan. 27, 2009, that retired Gen. Küçük, who is a key Ergenekon suspect, had personally ordered the 2002 assassination of secular academic Hablemitoğlu.
Excerpts from the witness’ testimony were distributed to some of the suspects’ lawyers by the prosecution in January of last year. Most of the witnesses are informants who worked with or for the organization and were involved in some of its crimes. Their identities are kept secret, but the press reported that the witness known as witness number nine is Yıldırım.
His witness testimony claimed that initially Yıldırım was told to kill Hablemitoğlu by retired Gen. Küçük, thought to be the leader of the military operations of Ergenekon. Yıldırım refused, saying he “did not work with the state.” Küçük then told Gürbüz, also a suspect in the case, “Well, it looks like this is once again left to you.” According to prosecutors’ records, witness number nine said in his questioning: “I have known İbrahim Genç for a long time. We have been partners in crime.
İbrahim Genç invited me to his office in Osmanbey in December 2002. Veli Küçük was there when I got there. They showed me a picture of Necip Hablemitoğlu, saying, ‘He has to die.’ They offered me $1 million. When I refused, Veli Küçük turned to Osman Gürbüz and said it looked like the job was left to him again. Gürbüz agreed. He had some kid do it. He had a hit man finish the deal.”
Another excerpt gave further information on the murder: “They were at Kemal Ateşoğlu’s club in Şirinevler. Osman Gürbüz said, ‘We also finished Hablemitoğlu at the tables,’ meaning they had used up the money they were paid for Hablemitoğlu [gambling].”
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