A military officer e-mailed newspapers and journalists a large list of Web sites whose activities have been monitored by the TSK for some time. The list included both Turkish and foreign-language Web sites. Under monitoring activities, the armed forces categorized visitors of more than 400 Web sites on the basis of their political and religious views. The Web sites were usually categorized as “reactionary,” “separatist,” “pro-Justice and Development Party [AK Party]” and “anti-TSK.”
Barış Yarkadaş, the coordinator general of www.gercekgundem.com, said he would seek legal redress against the TSK’s monitoring. The Web site was categorized as separatist in the TSK monitor list. “If this list reflects the truth, then it is a crime to keep such a record of Web sites. I doubt the intelligence of army members who prepared such a list. A person must have a problem with his mind to put a social democrat and republican Web site like ours on a list of separatist sites,” he said.
Yarkadaş also said the TSK monitoring was aimed at limiting individuals’ freedom to access information and news. “We all witnessed what happened to people against whom similar lists were prepared. Journalists cannot defend the right of individuals to have access to news in a system in which such lists are made,” he added.
Gürsel Tekin, the provincial chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul, said he did not see any news report on the Web site that could be deemed “separatist.” Tekin contributes to the site with regular columns.
“Unfortunately, they’ve silenced the whole media. I have not seen a single separatist report on www.gercekgundem.com. For me, the [TSK] list has no seriousness or validity,” Tekin noted.
İslam Arslan, the editor-in-chief of www.haber5.com, complained that his Web site was categorized as pro-Fethullah (referring to renowned Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen) on the TSK list. Arslan stated that his site was in line with the Milli Görüş (National View) movement. The movement was established by former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan.
“We find the categorization list funny. We are not pro-Fethullah. Were we labeled so because we put Taraf daily reports on our Web site?” Arslan asked.
The TSK’s monitor list probably pleased only the Young Civilians, a civil society group known for its use of sarcasm in protests. The group was categorized as “anti-war” in the armed forces’ list. The group expressed its satisfaction in a brief note it put on its Web site.
“The clearest answer to those who have categorized the Young Civilians in different ways, from the General Staff: The Young Civilians is anti-war. Yes! We believe that all issues can be settled more easily without wars and militarism. It is solely the General Staff who understood us, which makes us unhappy,” read the note.
Seven Web sites promoting psychological warfare still active
The unnamed officer also stressed in his e-mail that the TSK established 42 separate Web sites to back its psychological warfare against civilian groups it termed “reactionary,” “separatist,” “pro-AK Party” and “anti-TSK.” The plan against Web sites was devised at the Third Information Support Unit of the General Staff by a number of colonels and was coordinated by Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Hasan Iğsız, according to the officer. Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ was also reportedly informed about the plan.
Most of those Web sites were shut down after they made their way into news stories, but seven of them are still active, according to Akşam daily. Among the active Web sites are www.irtica.org, www.nursi.info, www.stratejik.info, www.turkler.info, www.turkeyturks.com, www.terrorizm.,info, www.members.tripo.com/camerian_volunteer.
In the meantime, İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Turan Çolakkadı told reporters on Wednesday that the officer’s e-mail had not reached him. “I have no information. No such e-mail has reached me. If you have it, please share it with me,” he noted. The reporters gave the prosecutor a copy of the e-mail.
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