Erzurum specially authorized prosecutors have requested that the voice in the recording be compared with that of Erdoğan.Erdoğan was arrested in March on suspicion of working with Ersin to pressure a witness who used the codename Munzur to retract his statement in the case against jailed Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor İlhan Cihaner and Gen. Saldıray Berk.
The voice recording, dated Feb. 16 and posted on several websites on Wednesday, indicates that Erdoğan, an owner of a patisserie in Erzincan, knew that Erzurum Prosecutor Osman Şanal, who was conducting the case against Cihaner and 3rd Army Commander Gen. Berk, was going to be stripped of his special authority.
While trying to persuade Munzur to retract his statement, he says in the recording: “The Pasha is my man. I guarantee to give you anything you want. OK, I can arrange a meeting with the pasha for you, as well. They will remove Şanal from his post. You should retract your testimony by 10 a.m. today; otherwise, they will remove the guy. They are assigning another one in his place. The pasha, the guys in the courthouse are all our men. We can give you all kinds of support. We can also have you show up in the media. I can have you appear on [Star TV news anchorman] Uğur Dündar’s program.”
The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) on Feb. 17 ruled to strip Erzurum Prosecutor Şanal of his special authority in a probe into now-jailed Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor Cihaner on charges of membership in a terrorist organization and falsification of documents. Şanal was investigating Gen. Berk, who allegedly conspired with Cihaner. The decision cast doubt on the impartiality and independence of the judiciary.
According to an indictment accepted by the Erzurum 2nd High Criminal Court in early March, Cihaner, Gen. Berk and 12 other suspects were implementing the initial stages of a subversive military coup plot devised by Col. Dursun Çiçek and targeting the government and religious segments of society.
The Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has also recently asked for the removal of the parliamentary immunity of Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Ahmet Ersin and Erol Tınastepe so it can charge them with aiding a terrorist organization and destroying evidence of a crime.
