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Motion against two CHP deputies reaches Parliament
The motion charges Ahmet Ersin and Erol Tınastepe with aiding a terrorist organization and destroying evidence of a crime. The parliamentary Constitution and Justice Joint Commission has yet to deliberate on the motion to remove the parliamentary immunity of the two deputies.
The motion states that the two deputies stand accused of having met with a witness from the Ergenekon investigation and paid him a considerable amount of money to persuade him to retract his testimony, including his testimony in an indictment against suspects in an investigation under way in Erzincan. The allegations are based on images obtained from security cameras at the Hotel Eriza in Erzincan.
Ergenekon is a clandestine criminal organization accused of attempting to foment chaos in society in order to facilitate and legitimize a military coup. The motion requests that the CHP deputies’ immunity be removed so that they may be included in the greater Ergenekon investigation as suspects.
Tınastepe spoke to reporters on Tuesday and denied alleged links between the Ergenekon network and him. He argued that the allegations included in the motion are fabricated and do not reflect the truth. “They sent the secret witness to us and then accused us of forcing them to recant their testimonies. We did not even know they were secret witnesses. I will apply to have my immunity removed before the parliamentary commission makes its decision. They are trying to intimidate us because they are afraid that we will expose the injustice in Erzincan,” the deputy remarked.
Claims emerged in February that CHP’s Ersin forced a witness, who used the codename “Munzur,” to withdraw his statement in the case against jailed Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor İlhan Cihaner and Gen. Saldıray Berk, who is currently at the helm of the 3rd Army. The two are accused of participating in part of an alleged military plot, the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism, aimed at the government and certain religious communities. Cihaner and Berk are also suspected of membership in the Ergenekon network.
CHP’s Ersin also stated that he would submit an application to Parliament for the removal of his immunity.
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