A senior politician who said Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's allegation that this was revenge was interesting also said: "There is no other example where there have been such serious attempts to politicize the judiciary. During [the] Feb. 28 [process], bodies buried by the Hizbullah terror organization were unearthed. Should we see the current excavations as acts of revenge? Should we forget the dark past? Should we ignore 17,000 unsolved murders?"
The Ergenekon case, which started with weapons found in Ümraniye, took on a new dimension after the seizure of ammunition and weapons in Sapanca and Gölbaşı. Defenders of Ergenekon are in a difficult position because the case now overlaps with the Susurluk scandal.
Not only CHP leader Baykal and his team, but also Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who presented himself as the prosecutor of this case, are having a difficult time.
Erdoğan, who avoids responding to questions regarding the case, still shows that he is aware of the process. His bitter response to Baykal, who made harsh statements on the recent arrests, is viewed as a big mistake.
Nihat Ergün from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), who asked Baykal why he acted so worriedly after the arrests, is known for his calm attitude. When I saw that he was rather calm during our conversation after the debate, I asked him whether the tension is the reason for his current calmness. He replied saying there was nothing to be worried about on their part and that it is the CHP that should be tense and worried.
Being in power at a time when the most comprehensive operation in republican history is being carried out is enough to cause worry. But Ergün was still calm and balanced: "What would those who belittled the coup attempts, alleging that such an action was impossible through a few bombs, say about these munitions? A coup is not possible through a few bombs, but it could lead to chaos. Note that the Council of State attack was carried out with a single gun; we all remember how chaotic its aftermath was."
The attack was first linked to the headscarf debates; and media publications convinced society that the murder was committed with this motive. A statement by Tansel Çölaşan, a former Council of State prosecutor, who asserted that the murderer made religious statements during the attack, was headlined in an attempt to prove that he was an Islamist terrorist. The Higher Education Board's (YÖK) committee of rectors held an extraordinary meeting and paid a visit to Atatürk's mausoleum to protest the attack. Bitter statements were made to stress that the secular regime was under threat. The Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Council of State made provocative statements during the process.
Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who was president at the time, made the most provocative statement wherein he argued that this was an attack against the secular republican regime. Advocates of lifting the headscarf ban and their supporters were declared potentially responsible for the attack.
The same was witnessed earlier in the case of the assassination of Uğur Mumcu, the head columnist of the Cumhuriyet daily. Leftist papers indiscriminately blamed others for the attack; even non-leftist reporters were implicitly accused of being involved in the murder.
Reports indicate that Turkey was on the verge of similar chaos this time as well. Assassinations were being plotted against leading Alevi and Armenian figures in Turkey because of the recent tragedy in Gaza. The police prevented such chaos via the recent arrests.
The bodies buried underneath houses by Hizbollah were the symbols of the Feb. 28 process; the excavations that began on Jan. 8 will be remembered for the weaponry hidden for future use in illegal activities.
This country has witnessed critical periods in which terrorism has been very influential. Terror was used as a pretext for states of emergency and military coups.
This has served as the rationale for a huge amount of military expenditure. It should also be recalled that more than 10,000 people were killed by terror organizations and gangs.
It is now time to purge these illegal entities. It is becoming clear that these organizations and gangs were actually secondary actors; Turkey is now dealing with the bigger actors manipulating them.
Ergenekon virus and CHP members obsessed with secularism
CHP leader Baykal, who reacted strongly against the recent arrests made in connection with the Ergenekon investigation, asserted that this was an attack against the republic and its core values. Ergün and Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin made harsh statements in response to this accusation. Stressing that this allegation showed disrespect toward the judiciary, Minister Şahin underlined that no one could interfere with the judicial mechanism.
Ergün asked whether the CHP was infected with the Ergenekon virus. When I told him this was a response that would trigger doubts vis-a-vis the CHP, Ergün said, "So, they should give a proper response in order to remove these doubts."
Some CHP figures said that acting swiftly after the excavations may lead to some trouble for the party; they further said they had no objection to the arrest of the perpetrators of illegal activities, but are opposed to the apprehension of distinguished names who are known for their long-term service to the country.
This line of defense recalled our attention to a joke made by Baykal; when asked why he did not invite Sabih Kanadoğlu, a former chief prosecutor of the supreme court of appeals, to join his party before the 2007 elections, Baykal said, "We do not need perverts of secularism."
Baykal attributed the 367 argument, which impacted the election of the president in 2007, to this perversion when it was first made public.
Benzer Haberler 
Politics
