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HSYK member Ertosun admits his voice in new recording
The new recording sent further shockwaves through Turkey's political landscape, which was recently rocked by a voice recording in which three high court judges described the leader of a terrorist organization as being crucial to the failure of a referendum on government-backed constitutional reform on Sept. 12. The new recording was posted on video file-sharing website dailymotion.com. In the latest recording, Ertosun is heard asking for support to categorize judges and prosecutors according to their ideological leanings, in a meeting with Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV) President Emine Ülker Tarhan and YARSAV board member Fetih Sayın. The HSYK decides appointments and promotions of judges and prosecutors.
Ertosun is heard saying in the clip that he needs YARSAV’s support in obtaining background information of judges and prosecutors, to create an “infrastructure” which would enable HSYK members to categorize judges and prosecutors according to political convictions.
Ertosun was quoted in the Hürriyet daily yesterday as saying: “I talked to those people [YARSAV] once, when they came to meet me at the HSYK office. This is concrete proof that the HSYK building has been bugged.”
Ertosun also said he was going to file a complaint and call for an investigation to establish responsibility for the illegal wiretapping.
CHP and DSP react to scandal recordings Main opposition groups the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Democratic Left Party (DSP) have both reacted to the voice recording posted online earlier this week in which Hamdi Yaver Aktan, a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals 8th Criminal Chamber, says he and others against the referendum should work together with outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, who he says is crucial to the referendum process. Deputy head of the CHP’s parliamentary group Muharrem İnce says the conversation is a “disaster,” noting that he didn’t want to believe what he heard. Secretary-general of the DSP Hasan Erçelebi also expressed distress, saying legal action should be taken against the men. The CHP’s İnce said: “I wish that the conversation had never taken place. I don’t want to believe this, just like I don’t want to believe the allegations about Herons,” referring to allegations that some in the military had been working in concert with PKK terrorists and downing unmanned Heron aircraft -- which had proven effective in anti-terrorism operations. “If this is true, it is a disaster. This should be investigated as soon as possible.” The DSP’s Çelebi said the content of the conversation was “wrong” and “ugly.” He said he expected the Supreme Court of Appeals administration to launch the necessary investigations. “People should be aware of the weight of the posts they serve in. A senior judge should know better, especially with what to say and what not to say.” He also said Aktan should publicly apologize for the statements he made in the recording. Habib Güler Ankara |
In related developments, a lawyer representing several suspects in the Ergenekon case has admitted visiting the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) to campaign for “no” votes in the upcoming public referendum, a fact that was mentioned in a scandalous voice recording featuring conversations between three Supreme Court of Appeals judges. Those recordings, posted on Monday, shocked Turkey, as the voices – allegedly belonging to several senior judges -- speak of coordinating with a separatist terrorist organization to campaign for “no” votes in the upcoming referendum.
In a voice recording posted to a file-sharing website on Monday, three members of the Supreme Court of Appeals talked about what could be done to prevent a “yes” from coming out of the referendum. They also stated that terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan was crucial for generating opposition to constitutional reforms, ahead of the referendum, scheduled for Sept. 12.
One of the voices belonged to court member Hamdi Yaver Aktan, who on Thursday confirmed that it was his voice. Aktan is the head of the 8th Criminal Chamber. The second voice is allegedly that of Yusuf Uluç, the head of the 8th Legal Chamber. A third person’s voice, allegedly that of judge Fatih Aktan, is also heard in one of three recordings posted yesterday on the website dailymotion.com.
The recordings, two of which appear to be part of the same conversation, suggest that the BDP’s boycott decision came after Turgut Kazan – a lawyer who is defending various suspects in the Ergenekon case, a self-named organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government – had talks with BDP President Selahattin Demirtaş. The two speakers in the recording praise the BDP for not being religious, for having left-wing administrators and for being close to the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The speakers say the CHP should work to support the BDP during the referendum process. The speakers also made remarks about the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, saying, “Öcalan is greatly needed in this process.” They further say that if a “yes” emerges frm the referendum on Sept. 12, that that “will be our end.”
One day after Aktan admitted it was his voice on the recording, Ergenekon lawyer Kazan admitted to having met with BDP representatives.
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