Ergenekon file - part 6

From blackmail to false reports, Ergenekon employs all methods

The latest revelations in the Ergenekon investigation include a large number of CDs and DVDs found in the home of one of the suspects containing personal information and hidden camera recordings of several high-ranking officials, raising eyebrows about the methods that might have been employed by the shadowy network planning to overthrow the government.

Ergenekon suspect Güney’s testimony aired on television

The police testimony of Tuncay Güney, who is seen as a key figure in the ongoing Ergenekon investigation because he appears to have been a member of multiple intelligence agencies, both legitimate and clandestine, was aired on television yesterday for the first time.

Foreign media simplifies labyrinthic Ergenekon as a way out

Already lost within the complex structure of a notorious Turkish criminal organization known as Ergenekon, foreign press organs have resorted to reducing the ongoing investigation into the group to a fierce battle between the two main camps in society.

Military officer's grenades identical to Ümraniye batch

Hand grenades found in a house belonging to a lieutenant colonel who turned himself in on Monday after becoming a fugitive in the probe into Ergenekon, a clandestine organization attempting to create chaos and undermine stability in order to trigger a coup, have serial numbers from the same batch as those found in a house in Ümraniye, İstanbul, police sources said on Wednesday.

Dönmez case sparks questions over military’s role in prosecutions

Lt. Col. Mustafa Dönmez's surrender to military authorities on Jan. 12 instead of Turkish civilian investigators has reopened the controversy over the function of military courts in Turkey, with his choice to surrender to military authorities also raising questions over whether he will find protection within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

Bar associations voice disapproval of comments by YARSAV head

The heads of a number of Turkish bar associations have criticized the remarks of Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer Faruk Eminağaoğlu, who earlier this week voiced his disapproval of the latest wave of detentions of suspected members of the Ergenekon terrorist organization.

Alevi leaders hit back at Ergenekon’s assassination plots

Representatives from various Alevi associations have raised their voices against plans devised by a clandestine terrorist network known as Ergenekon to assassinate Alevi community leaders with the ulterior motive of dragging the country into chaos.

Suspects detained over attacks on AK Party headquarters

Police have apprehended suspects they believe to have been behind a bomb attack at the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) İstanbul headquarters in December and a mortar attack against the 1st Army Command in İstanbul’s Üsküdar district in August.

New detentions shed light on more Ergenekon crimes

A number of plans, lists, maps and arms caches unearthed last week in the latest wave of searches and detentions carried out as part of the Ergenekon investigation suggest that the group was behind many provocative attacks and murders previously attributed to various other organizations.

Fugitive former general Ersöz escapes police raid

Retired Gen. Levent Ersöz, a former senior military officer who is being sought as part of the Ergenekon investigation, reportedly escaped a recent police raid in Ankara. According to police sources, Ersöz had entered Turkey a few weeks ago and shortly after his arrival police raided the house of a Russian woman believed to be a friend of his in Ankara’s Ümitköy district.

Fugitive Ergenekon general captured in Ankara

Retired Brig. Gen. Levent Ersöz, who has been on the run from police since July 2008 and thought to be hiding in Russia, was arrested on Thursday in an Ankara hospital. Ersöz is wanted in connection with the ongoing operation into Ergenekon, a clandestine organization attempting to create chaos and to undermine the stability of the country in order to trigger a coup.

Excavations dig deeper into Ergenekon structure

Excavations into sites that are potentially home to arms caches of Ergenekon, a clandestine organization attempting to create chaos and undermine stability in order to trigger a coup d'état, continued yesterday, indicating that the investigation is going to deepen, with prosecutors reaching more central branches of the organization.

Ergenekon had tradition of hiding weapons

A number of weapons caches belonging to the Ergenekon terrorist organization portray clearly what the group is capable of doing.

‘Politicians, businessmen next in line in Ergenekon’

Retired senior army generals and lower-ranking officers on active duty were detained last week as part of the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine organization attempting to create chaos and undermine stability in order to trigger a coup against the government, but we are more than likely to see more high-profile detentions and arrests of politicians and businessmen in the coming months, a senior bureaucrat has told Today's Zaman.

Ergenekon debates dominate political agenda

Leaders of Turkey's three main political parties focused on the ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization, a clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of trying to overthrow the government, during parliamentary group meetings yesterday.

Minister says removal of Ergenekon prosecutor out of question

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin has said it is out of the question for his ministry to dismiss Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, the lead prosecutor in the investigation of the Ergenekon terrorist organization, a crime network with alleged links to the state.

YARSAV’s second man in charge of monitoring AK Party

The vice president of the Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV), Zekeriya Sevimli, was in charge of observing the activities of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at a time when the party faced the risk of being shut down.

Ergenekon devised strategic plans at secret headquarters

Members of Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal organization charged with attempting to create chaos and undermine stability in order to trigger a coup against the government, regularly met at secret gathering places to devise plans to manipulate the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), recent additions to the indictment against the organization have charged.

Real news trumps any Ergenekon series, says TV producer

Producer Osman Sınav, whose television series “Deli Yürek,” “Kurtlar Vadısı” and “Pars Narkoterör” have focused on topics such as “shady dealings” and the “deep state,” is these days receiving reams of books and scenarios focusing on “deep relations in the state” and “Ergenekon” for his consideration.

Ergenekon suspect Şahin’s testimony sparks new questions

A former special operations officer detained last week as part of the investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine organization attempting to create chaos and undermine stability in order to trigger a coup against the government, has produced more questions than answers with his testimony to the prosecutor.

Justice Minister Şahin highlights judiciary independence, raps YARSAV

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin yesterday highlighted the importance of respecting the independence of the judiciary in the wake of criticism directed at the judicial system by Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV) President Ömer Faruk Eminağaoğlu, following the latest wave of detentions of suspected members of the Ergenekon terrorist organization.

New indictment likely to refer to coup bids

The investigation into the Ergenekon terror network will likely be expanded, but the findings so far are enough to hope that there will be improvements in Turkey, experts have said, while also noting that another wave of detentions and new indictments, which will most probably reference coup attempts, will be prepared.

Prison administration foils plot to transfer general

An attempt to transfer a retired general currently jailed in Silivri Prison as a key suspect as part of the ongoing investigation into the Ergenekon criminal network to the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) with a falsified document was recently averted, the Yeni Şafak daily reported yesterday.

Atatürkist Thought Association decries Kurdish-language TV

The Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD) has requested that the newly introduced Kurdish-language broadcasting on channel TRT 6 be put to an end.

‘Search of generals' homes lasted only minutes'

The searches inside the homes of two senior generals detained in last week's police operations into the Ergenekon terrorist organization were completed in nearly 10 minutes, sources at the scene have said.

Turkish police discovers new weapons cache

Turkish police seized on Monday a new weapons cache in the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a shady clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government, state media said.

Judicial inquiry on suspect army member continues, General Staff

Turkish General Staff said on Tuesday that the judicial inquiry regarding a lieutenant colonel, who was arrested within the scope of the "Ergenekon" probe, continued in all aspects.

Detentions reveal Ergenekon’s covert assassination plots

A new wave of detentions last week from the clandestine terrorist network Ergenekon has revealed that the group was planning to assassinate Alevi and Armenian community leaders, the prime minister and members of the Supreme Court of Appeals, acts that would have dragged Turkey into chaos if they had been carried out.

Police display Ergenekon’s arms cache

Munitions seized by the police in last week’s Ergenekon operations were introduced to the press yesterday, the police department has announced in an official statement.

Erdoğan: Those with dark aims uneasy about Ergenekon

Individuals and groups who established their policies based on a period in Turkey where the rule of law was overlooked are unnerved about the deepening investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network of armed and unarmed organizations plotting to overthrow the government, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said yesterday.

Baykal: Honorable people mistreated by Ergenekon probe

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal on Saturday defended those implicated in the Ergenekon case, saying that honorable people were being mistreated and that the CHP will fight against Turkey’s transformation into a state run by fear.

Deep excavations from Feb. 28 through Jan. 8

Excavations conducted in Ankara as part of the Ergenekon investigation and the ammunition seized in these excavations recalled excavations carried out during the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup process.

Turkish police discovers new weapons cache

Turkish police seized on Monday a new weapons cache in the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a shady clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government, state media said.

Military has a hard time determining Ergenekon stance

Key detentions were made on Wednesday in the investigation of Ergenekon, a clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of trying to overthrow the government, and some segments of society, including the military, appear to be unnerved by the developments.

How the mosaic of Ergenekon terror gang was created

It all started in July 2007 when a house full of weapons and munitions was found in the Ümraniye district of İstanbul. The police investigation resulted in the discovery of a shady gang with links to state agencies, and possibly the military, that had attempted to create an atmosphere conducive to a military takeover against a number of governments, most recently against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

No immediate Ergenekon impact on normalization of military-civilian relations

Speculation has increased that behind Turkey’s investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization lies international pressure exerted by the US to bring the country’s highly politicized Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) into line with NATO’s democratic standards.

US stresses ‘constitutional principles’ and ‘reform process’ in Ergenekon case

The US government has highlighted “constitutional principles” and “the reform process” in response to the developments in the ongoing Ergenekon investigation in Turkey.

Nine arrested, seven released in Ergenekon probe

An İstanbul court arrested early Sunday nine people and released seven others, including former Secretary-General of the National Security Council, in Ergenekon probe.

Ergenekon weapons cache unearthed in Ankara

A large cache of weapons, ammunition and bombs was found yesterday buried in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district as a result of a police search based on a map found in the home of İbrahim Şahin, a former head of the National Police Department’s Special Operations Unit. The operation was launched after Şahin recently ordered the assassination of non-Muslim minority leaders in Sivas.

Gölbaşı ammunition may shed light on unsolved murders

The discovery of weapons, ammunition and bombs buried in Ankara yesterday has excited observers, saying the find may shed light on a series of unsolved murders in the country.

Weapons found in Gölbaşı different from Susurluk rifles

Initial police findings indicate that weapons found buried underground in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district are not the same weapons used in some of the assassinations thought to have been perpetrated by the Susurluk gang.

Baykal caught in contradiction on stance toward judiciary

Statements by Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal on the most recent wave of detentions in the investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization have revealed an obvious contradiction in the main opposition leader’s stance toward the judiciary.

Ergenekon planned to kill Pamuk's brother

Academic Şevket Pamuk, the brother of the Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk, was likely to be killed by Ergenekon, a shadowy network with plans to overthrow the government, recent evidence gathered on the gang has revealed.

Police release photos, video from Ergenekon detention center

In response to claims that Ergenekon suspects are being held under unsuitable conditions, the İstanbul Police Department released photographs and video images of the detention center where the most recent detainees of the Ergenekon case are being kept.

Key colonel in Öcalan's capture among detainees

Among individuals detained on Wednesday in simultaneous police operations as part of the Ergenekon investigation was retired Col. Mustafa Levent Göktaş, head of an operation launched in 1999 to capture the now-jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Judicial circles, CHP try to influence investigation

Most analysts agree that key detentions made on Wednesday in the investigation of Ergenekon, a clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of trying to overthrow the government, are a milestone in the country’s history, but some opponents of the investigation, including the Republican People’s Party (CHP), have strongly responded to the arrests in what appears to be an attempt to influence the judicial process and public opinion.

EU voices support for Ergenekon investigation

European Parliament Rapportuer on Turkey Ria Oomen-Ruijten has voiced support for an ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine network of groups and individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government. In an interview with Today’s Zaman yesterday she said she was satisfied that the process has started and encouraged Turkish authorities to further investigate to see how bits and pieces of this network have influenced the whole state.

Stock exchange sees sharp decline amid political tension

The benchmark index of the İstanbul Stock Exchange (İMKB-100) dropped 6.03 percent, 1,632.28 points, on Thursday, closing the day at 26,210.37 points.

Consensus with US may be behind TSK’s change, says Ümit Kardaş

“There may be a consensus between the US and Turkey over bringing Turkey’s politically powerful military in line with NATO’s democratic standards,” Ümit Kardaş, a former military judge, has said.

Ergenekon hit list grows longer with new findings

Turkey has been disconcerted by the revelation of more assassination and attack plans made by Ergenekon, a shadowy deep state gang with alleged plans to overthrow the government in a military coup d’etat. In Sivas, in one of a series of raids conducted simultaneously in a number of provinces, assassination plans by the Ergenekon crime gang were uncovered.

Latest detention reveals more about İP’s military ties

The list of people detained on Wednesday in a new wave of raids targeting the Ergenekon terrorist organization included Col. Cengiz Köylü, who allegedly served as a liaison between the military and the Workers’ Party (İP), according to the National Intelligence Organization (MİT).

Weapons strengthen argument that Ergenekon is armed gang

The fact that countless amounts of weapons, including 73 hand grenades, numerous guns and rifles along with Kalashnikov and Kanas firearms, have been found up to this point during raids as part of the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a shady network of groups and individuals accused of plotting to overthrow the government, strengthens the accusations that the gang has engaged in armed activities and assassinations.

Local elections to be held under shadow of Ergenekon

The detention of nearly 40 individuals as part of an ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a shadowy criminal network suspected of plotting to topple the government, has shaped political leaders' arguments ahead of the March local elections.

Ergenekon-linked generals renowned for hawkish stance

The last wave of detentions in the Ergenekon terrorist organization operation resulted in the detention of 30 individuals, including three retired generals and 10 active officers of various ranks.

Council of State hitman was drugged, says Ergenekon lawyer

The Ergenekon trial, in which 86 suspects are facing charges of attempting to overthrow the government, continued yesterday, with one of the defense lawyers claiming that a hitman used in a deadly attack at the Council of State in 2006 was drugged for the task.

Ergenekon suspects confer with legal counsel

Some of the suspects detained on Wednesday in a new wave of raids targeting the Ergenekon terrorist organization met with their lawyers yesterday.

Deputy claims Ergenekon fugitive Ersöz was in Southeast

A deputy has said Levent Ersöz, a senior retired general who is being sought as part of the Ergenekon investigation, was in the southeastern province of Şırnak when a search warrant was first issued for him.

Ergenekon arms site unearthed in Gölbaşı

Police in Ankara discovered a munitions site in an investigation into the Ergenekon terrorist organization. Weapons, flamethrowers and hand grenades found buried under the ground appear to date from the year 2004. Other excavations are under way in various areas of the city.

Feb. 28 patrons detained in latest Ergenekon operation

The list of people detained yesterday in a new wave of raids targeting the Ergenekon terrorist organization included some of the hawkish generals behind the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed military intervention that overthrew a democratically elected coalition government.

Dozens more detained in new wave of raids on Ergenekon

Seven retired generals were detained yesterday along with at least 30 others as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation. A former senior prosecutor and the former head of the Higher Education Board were among those detained.

Those detained in new wave famous for their anti-democratic actions

The list of people detained yesterday in a new wave of raids targeting the Ergenekon terrorist organization included some of the hawkish generals behind the Feb. 28, 1997 unarmed military intervention that overthrew a democratically elected coalition government.

Waves of detentions mark Ergenekon investigation

The ongoing investigation into Ergenekon started in the summer of 2007, with the discovery of hand grenades inside a house in İstanbul's Ümraniye district belonging to Oktay Yıldırım, a retired noncommissioned army officer currently under arrest in relation to the case.

Turkish police detain around 30 in connection with Ergenekon case

Turkish police detained around 30 people including retired generals, academicians and writers under the "Ergenekon" probe on Wednesday.

Güney came to Turkey, claims Ergenekon suspect

A lawyer defending one of the suspects accused of being a member of Ergenekon, a clandestine organization allegedly planning to overthrow the government through its connections in the state, claimed during Monday's hearing that an alleged National Intelligence Organization (MİT) agent who infiltrated Ergenekon and is currently residing in Canada had entered Turkey five times under different names in the past two years.

A beginner’s guide to Ergenekon, trial of the century

Following Turkish politics can be confusing, especially in current times when the country is witnessing what analysts term the “trial of the century,” involving alleged members of a group that, as briefly described by newspapers, is suspected of a number of crimes that appear to have been committed for the ultimate political purpose of bending the country toward a certain political agenda.

JİTEM behind Anter and Aydın murders, claims Kurdish group

The 1990s assassinations of two important Kurdish figures, whose deaths traumatized the Kurdish community, were the work of the secret gendarmerie intelligence unit JİTEM, whose existence has been denied by officials, the spokesman of a Kurdish group has said.

Main opposition CHP launches internal inquiry into wiretapping

Following the recent discovery of two covert listening devices at the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, party officials have begun to investigate whether the devices were planted by party members.

Court did not listen to me, says Garih murder convict

A man who was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing businessman Üzeyir Garih to death in 2001 and recently confessed that he was coerced into assuming responsibility for the murder in the face of death threats has stated that he had testified in court about the threats but that the court ignored his testimony.

Saçan given 5 months for concealing Ergenekon files

A former police chief who is also currently a suspect in the trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine network accused of plotting against the government, was sentenced yesterday to five months in prison by an İstanbul court in a separate case, in which the former police chief was accused of hiding confidential state documents.

Army intervention is legal, says Ergenekon suspect

The armed intervention of the military in politics, if need be, is a constitutional and legal right of the military, said Ümit Sayın yesterday during the trial of Ergenekon, a shadowy organization of which 86 suspected members are being accused of a host of crimes, including plotting to overthrow the government.

Terrorism dominates agenda throughout 2008

The top story in the Turkish media in 2008 was terrorism and terrorist acts, with reports covering terrorism constituting the most numerous of all news stories, according to a report by the Media Monitoring Center (MTM), which regularly monitors more than 1,700 publications, broadcasters, radios, newspapers and periodicals every month.

Güney visited me in prison, says Ergenekon suspect

Semih Tufan Gülaltay, a suspect in the Ergenekon trial, which is investigating a criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, has stated that Tuncay Güney, an alleged intelligence agent for the state and an Ergenekon member turned informant, visited him in Yozgat Prison where he was serving a prison sentence for gang membership.

Turkish Parliament to investigate death wells

Parliament will investigate claims about death wells located in the Southeast in which hundreds of bodies of southeastern citizens killed by the Ergenekon organization -- clandestine crime organization nested within the state hierarchy, 86 of whose suspected members currently stand trial on charges of plotting to overthrow the government -- on suspicion that they might be affiliated with the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Security upped for Yermez

Prison security around convict Yener Yermez, sentenced to life in prison for stabbing businessman Üzeyir Garih to death, has been increased to protect him from any assassination attempts.

Ergenekon detainee elected party leader

Journalist Tuncay Özkan, currently in prison and suspected of being a member of a clandestine network, was elected yesterday as the chairman of a newly founded party, the New Party (YP).

Turkey inquires into its democracy in 2008

For Turkey 2008 has been a year in which democracy, human rights and freedoms have been extensively discussed and anti-democratic interventions and practices have been questioned.

We were only joking, claims Ergenekon suspect

Vatan Bölükbaşoğlu, a hit man for the Turkish Revenge Brigade (TİT) who currently stands before court as a suspect in the trial of Ergenekon, acriminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, said he and his friends used information they had hacked on the internet to act as if they were members of an organization “just for the heck of it.”

Prosecutors reveal more about Karadağ's ‘connections’

Retired Col. Fikri Karadağ, currently jailed as a suspect in the Ergenekon trial, was the first person to arrive at the scene of a 1993 terrorist attack in which a large number of Turkish soldiers were killed in eastern Bingöl province, according to prosecutors assigned to the Ergenekon case.

Jurists concerned over slowness of Ergenekon merger

Jurists have expressed concern over legal proceedings moving too slowly in the aftermath of a high court ruling to merge a case involving an attack on the Council of State with the Ergenekon trial, in which 86 suspects are charged, among other things, with plotting to overthrow the government.

Author of Susurluk report praises Ergenekon suspect Küçük

Ümit Oğuztan, a journalist who prepared a report for a parliamentary commission investigating a major political scandal in the 1990s, praised retired Brig. Gen. Veli Küçük, who is currently in jail for suspected membership in Ergenekon, a criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, in his defense statement in the trial against Ergenekon yesterday.

Prosecutors to investigate Ergenekon links in Özden, Garih murders

Prosecutors assigned to the Ergenekon case, an investigation of a clandestine network whose alleged members are currently on trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the government, will be investigating possible links between the organization and the 2001 murder of a businessman and the 2005 death of a colonel.

Convict confesses Ergenekon-Garih link

In a confession letter he wrote to the Yeni Şafak daily, a man who was sentenced to life for stabbing businessman Üzeyir Garih to death said he had been first offered $1.5 million to claim responsibility for murder and then threatened with the lives of his family and loved ones.

Mehmet Ağar to appear in court in February

Former chief of national police and interior minister Mehmet Ağar, who is accused of "establishing a criminal organization" while serving as the country's top security official, will be tried at the Ankara 11th High Criminal Court starting on Feb. 9, 2009.

Ergenekon defendants charged with contempt of court

Following the cross-examination of journalist Vedat Yenerer at a hearing of the trial of Ergenekon, accused of plotting to overthrow the government, state prosecutors have requested that the court file a criminal complaint against Yenerer, lawyer Vural Ergül and defendant Adnan Akfırat for threatening, mocking and insulting the prosecution.

Ergenekon journalist says used mortar shells to grow flowers

A journalist currently under arrest as a suspect in the Ergenekon trial, in which 86 people are charged with a number of murders, public incidents and attacks to aid their ultimate plot to overthrow the government, has said that he grew flowers in mortar shells found by police in his home and office during the investigation.

Ergenekon suspects try to deny acquaintances

Nineteen suspects so far have completed delivering their defense statements in court in the Ergenekon trial, in which 86 are charged with a number of murders, public incidents and attacks to aid their ultimate plot to overthrow the government, but most of them have greatly changed their defense testimonies during cross examination sessions during the trial, observers note.

Ergenekon trial expansion triggers debate on court options

Last week, the Supreme Court of Appeals announced two rulings merging the case of an armed attack on the Council of State in 2006 and the trial of a gang called Atabeyler with the ongoing trial of 86 suspects charged with, among other things, plotting to overthrow the government, and these rulings quickly brought about debates on which court should hear the case.

Suspect blames US policy for Ergenekon investigation

The police investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government, and the ensuing trial, in which 86 suspects have been charged with membership in the group, is a result of US economic policy, according to suspect Muammer Karabulut, who delivered his defense testimony in the trial yesterday.

JİTEM’s existence more than evident, says Elkatmış

The existence of the clandestine and illegitimate gendarmerie intelligence unit known as JİTEM is indisputable, according to Mehmet Elkatmış, who headed a parliamentary commission investigating the 1996 Susurluk affair, a car crash which revealed that gangs inside the police force, the state and rogue hit men and criminals were working together to implement their own political agenda.

Key Ergenekon figure Güney to testify for prosecution

A former informant who was reportedly a member of the Ergenekon terrorist network, a clandestine organization manipulating public events, staging assassinations and planning an overthrow of the government, may testify after the panel of judges hearing the Ergenekon case launched the legal process to obtain his testimony on Thursday.

Family believes four members were executed with acid

Two brothers have claimed that four members of their family about whom they have not heard for 13 years might have been burned with acid and buried in wells by JİTEM, the secret gendarmerie intelligence unit.

Fener Patriarchate is ‘Trojan horse,’ Erenerol claims

The spokesperson for a group calling itself the Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate testified yesterday in the trial against Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government, and claimed that the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate based in Fener is a Trojan horse silently waiting to attack Turkey.

Lawyer presents more evidence for Ergenekon link in Garih murder

The lawyer for a man who stabbed to death Turkish-Jewish businessman Üzeyir Garih in 2001 has made statements further confirming suspicion that the murder was orchestrated by Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

'A piece of bone could shed light on Silopi executions'

Any human remains exhumed from alleged grave-wells in the southeastern city of Silopi could greatly further an investigation into summary executions allegedly perpetrated by the secret gendarmerie intelligence unit JİTEM, a forensic medicine expert has said.

Suspects in US consulate attack face up to 15 years in prison

A prosecutor has completed his indictment against two defendants connected to an attack on the US Consulate General in İstanbul in July, in which six people, including three police officers, were killed.

Prosecutor demands life sentence for 2 suspects in Güngören bombings

A prosecutor has demanded life sentences with no possibility of parole for two defendants suspected to have links with two separate bombings in İstanbul's Güngören district that killed 17 people and injured more than 150 others in late July.

Cross examination silences retired Gen. Veli Küçük

Retired Brig. Gen. Veli Küçük, considered one of the most important suspects in the trial against Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government, refused to answer questions directed at him on the second day of his cross examination at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court yesterday in the 27th hearing of the trial, which started in late October in the İstanbul township of Silivri.

Report: Garih’s execution warrant issued in 1995

Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network charged with plotting to overthrow the government, orchestrated the 2001 murder of a businessman in İstanbul because the victim had stopped his financial “donations” to the organization in 1995, according to allegations put forth in the Yeni Şafak daily yesterday.

Özden killed for what he knew, Aydın family says

Rıdvan Özden, a colonel who was declared dead following a clash with terrorists in 1995, was killed because he was preparing to expose files on assassinations and smuggling carried out by security forces, the family of an alleged close friend of Özden has claimed.

Silopi prosecutor rules for probe into alleged JİTEM executions

The Silopi Prosecutor's Office has issued a ruling allowing an investigation to proceed into summary executions allegedly perpetrated by the secret gendarmerie intelligence unit JİTEM.

High court overrules Council of State decision

The Supreme Court of Appeals has overruled a local court's decision regarding a shooting that left a senior judge of the Council of State dead in 2006 and demanded that links between the shooting and Ergenekon, a criminal network accused of attempting to overthrow the government, be investigated.

High court issues landmark decision

The Supreme Court of Appeals has overruled a local court's decision regarding a shooting that left a senior judge of the Council of State dead in 2006 and demanded that links between the shooting and Ergenekon, a criminal network accused of attempting to overthrow the government, be investigated.

[ERGENEKON TRIAL] Küçük remains obstinate despite clear-cut evidence

A retired general considered one of the most important suspects in the trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine network with links to behind-the-scenes intelligence units whose members are charged with plotting to overthrow the government, refused to answer questions directed at him by the prosecution and co-plaintiff lawyers at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court yesterday in the 26th hearing of the trial, which started in late October in the İstanbul township of Silivri.

Garih murderer served as private under Ergenekon colonel

The hit-man who killed a Turkish businessman served as a private under the command of Fikri Karadağ, a retired colonel who is jailed as a suspect in the trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine network of individuals that appear to be nested within the state hierarchy and is standing trial for murders and public disorder that ultimately aimed to overthrow the government.

High court overrules Council of State decision

The Supreme Court of Appeals has overruled a local court's decision regarding a shooting that left a senior judge of the Council of State dead in 2006 and demanded that links between the shooting and Ergenekon, a criminal network accused of attempting to overthrow the government, be investigated.

Garih murder part of Ergenekon, family friend claims

Individuals dressed up as police officers handcuffed and kidnapped the grandson of a Turkish businessman killed in 2001 on the day of the murder, according to allegations put forth by a family friend.

Retired General Veli Küçük to testify today in Ergenekon gang trial

A former general deemed to be one of the most important suspects in the trial of Ergenekon, a clandestine network with links to behind-the-scene intelligence units whose members are charged with plotting to overthrow the government, is set to testify today in the 26th hearing of the trial that started in late October.

Trabzon munitions may be linked to Ergenekon, says governor

Hand grenades seized during police raids in the Black Sea city of Trabzon on Saturday appear to be of the same batch found in the Ergenekon investigation, a statement from the governor of Trabzon has indicated.

Wolf in the fold: agents as journalists

Recent statements by Tuncay Güney, a former journalist who once worked for Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and was a member of the Ergenekon gang, have raised the question of whether a number of Turkish journalists are actually MİT agents.

Hürriyet denies Güney bribery allegations

A former Ergenekon member’s assertion that the Hürriyet newspaper had offered a bribe to cover up its alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government is a “horrendous and scummy lie,” a reporter from the Hürriyet daily was quoted as saying yesterday in the Yeni Şafak daily.

Ergenekon witness paid to keep silent, paper claims

A former member of Ergenekon, a clandestine gang with links to behind-the-scene intelligence units nearly 90 of whose alleged members are currently facing charges of having plotted to overthrow the government, has been paid money by the mass-circulation Hürriyet daily to not speak about Hürriyet owner Doğan Media Group's role in the coup plans, according to allegations raised by the Yeni Şafak daily yesterday.

Neo-nationalist group leader arrested

The leader of a neonationalist organization was arrested on Saturday by police teams under a warrant issued by the Diyarbakır 1st Higher Criminal Court in his home in the capital on charges of fraud and establishing a criminal organization.

Court to ask MİT about Turkish rabbi

An İstanbul court currently hearing the case against alleged members of Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, has decided to send an official notice to the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) demanding that the organization inform the court about its ties to a Turkish rabbi currently residing in Canada.

Turkey needs an intelligence coordination mechanism, says Güven

A former senior Turkish intelligence official has warned against weaknesses in Turkey’s intelligence-gathering mechanisms, suggesting that an intelligence coordination unit should be established under the Prime Ministry.

'Sakık plotted killings of 33 soldiers upon Ergenekon order'

The jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, has claimed that the killings of several Turkish soldiers in eastern Bingöl in 1993 were the work of a former PKK leader who had received orders from a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government.

'Ergenekon case purged fascists from Turkish left'

Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) leader Ufuk Uras and other intellectuals have stated that the case against Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, has cleared the Turkish left of fascists.

Ergenekon leaders still unknown to court

The prosecution in the Ergenekon trial, in which suspects stand accused of membership in a clandestine organization allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, has not revealed some of the higher-ups in the organization, the presiding judge, Köksal Şengün, told reporters yesterday.

Ex-minister: Southeast expects Ergenekon case to resolve murders

Former State Minister Mehmet Salim Ensarioğlu, still a prominent figure in southeastern Turkey, said people in the region expect unsolved murders committed in the Southeast to be brought to light with the investigation into Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government.

Ergenekon critics use Güney as ploy

Some newspapers in Turkey that initially ignored Ergenekon have recently exaggerated the connection a mysterious rabbi who now resides in Canada has to the illegal organization, observers say, in order to downplay the trial.

Seized weapons were used against PKK, says Ergenekon major

A retired major who is standing trial as a suspect in the case of Ergenekon, a gang accused of being part of a clandestine and illegal organization allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, has said explosives and ammunition found in his home during a police investigation into the gang were only used to fight a terrorist organization.

Suspect testimony continues in Ergenekon trial

The 22nd hearing in the Ergenekon trial, in which suspects stand accused of being part of a clandestine and illegal organization allegedly plotting to overthrow the government, was held yesterday.

Controversial Turkish rabbi Güney denies links with MİT

A Turkish rabbi with suspected ties to the Ergenekon gang, many members of which are currently facing trial on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, has denied recent claims that he was working for the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to gather information about Ergenekon, several Turkish newspapers reported yesterday.

MİT document on Ergenekon number one given to court

Judges of the 13th Higher Criminal Court hearing the case against Ergenekon, a clandestine criminal network suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, have been given a report including an organizational chart that names the top leader of the terrorist organization, whose identity had not previously been uncovered during the prosecutors' investigation.