What sort of ‘personal relation’ is this?

Amid the debates revolving around HSYK member Ertosun, a photo was published in the papers. It showed Ertosun as a close friend of Ergenekon suspects. Doesn't the general public have the right to a reasonable explanation? Of course, he must be called to account to explain that photo. And if he cannot make an acceptable explanation, he must resign from office. What is the use of turning this institution into a "last card," as Vural Savaş put it?

A recent headline from the Bugün daily illuminates a much more scandalous incident. HSYK member Ertosun met with Lt. Gen. Ali Aydın, the commander of Col. Cemal Temizöz, who is in prison for unexplained murders in the Southeast, at a house in Kayseri, where he was hosted for two days. We do not know if this was the outcome of this hospitality, which was claimed to have occurred 15 days before the arrest of Temizöz, but the chief prosecutor of Diyarbakır was summoned to Ankara and forced to backpedal in the investigation. Bugün asked Ertosun about this meeting. This is the answer from his highness: "I don't want to make a statement at the moment." But questions are multiplying every day.

As a matter of fact, “the personal relations” of HSYK members always lead to a shadowy place. For instance, the incident revealed by Alper Görmüş and verified by Can Dündar is hair-raising. According to this story, Can Dündar learned that Mustafa Duyar was in prison for the Sabancı assassination. Dündar sought permission from the justice minister of the time to have an interview with Duyar, whose demand to become an informer had been declined. Although he was granted permission, he was prevented by the general director of prisons of that time. Who was this general director? Once again -- Ertosun. The same general director approved the transfer of the Karagümrük gang, also known as the Nuriş brothers, to Afyon Prison, where Duyar is also staying, and this gang kills Duyar within two weeks. But when the time to silence the silencer comes for the leader of the Karagümrük gang, he fearfully triggers a revolt in prison and kills six people. During that revolt, Karagümrük leader Nuri Ergin said to the cameras, "The state made me kill Mustafa Duyar," and from another window, his brother Vedat Ergin said: "Call Veli Küçük, and ask him about me. I don't want to say much." At the trial concerning the revolt, Nuri Ergin said, "If Ergenekon prosecutor Zekeriya Öz wants to shed light on part of the Sabancı assassination, he should question why Ali Suat Ertosun is interested in Mustafa Duyar."

What kind of a personal relation is this? Former Supreme Court of Appeals President Eraslan Özkaya had been wiretappedm and it was disclosed that he had a personal relationship with Alaaddin Çakıcı, after which he had to resign from office. Every member of the judiciary who takes pains to avoid any personal relations with suspects or defendants will feel uneasy about this. This is so big a gap that it cannot easily be mended. The personal friendships of HSYK members can only be cleared by their resignation and by their avoidance of ruthless meddling with vital cases.

The crisis over the decree on the appointment of judges and prosecutors caused by the HSYK showed the naked truth of the ideological orientation of the judiciary. Formerly, there were rumors that a deep structure within the HSYK was interfering with critical cases. Of course, we would find it hard to believe these rumors. We would ask why a board dealing with judicial appointments should do this. However, the abolishment of certain cases, changing the number of judges and prosecutors in critical positions and other incidents were all adding fuel to suspicions. And the recent performance of the HYSK has added to the number of ever-increasing question marks about the judiciary. Their current image in the eyes of the man on the street is that certain criminal networks are being protected by this institution. Quite bad!