Ex-officers may have tampered with evidence in Council of State shooting

The administration of the OYAK Security Company, which was responsible for security at the Council of State building, was made up of retired army officers who had served in the Special Forces Command. Among the company’s high-level officials were Orhan Çoban, a retired National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer, Tarık Özyılmaz, Ethem Katmet and Mehmet Kaygusuz -- all former members of the Special Forces. According to claims, the security camera records at the building may have been destroyed by those men.

Alparslan Arslan, found guilty of the Council of State killing, said he attacked the court to protest an anti-headscarf decision it had made. But it was later discovered that he had been in touch with a clandestine criminal organization known as Ergenekon, which is accused of plotting to overthrow the government, and that his family received large sums of money from unidentified sources after the shooting. In the past, Mehmet Eymür, a former intelligence official, claimed that OYAK Security’s Çoban was in close contact with Kaşif Kozinoğlu and Yavuz Ataç, who are suspected of links with illegal gangs and groups. Kozinoğlu allegedly had close relations with Alaattin Çakıcı, arguably the most famous mafia boss in Turkey. Ataç, on the other hand, was known to have had frequent meetings with retired Capt. Muzaffer Tekin, who is currently in jail for suspected membership in Ergenekon.