New custodies under the name of Ergenekon Operation

Early in the morning around 25 people from different professions and cities have been taken into custody with a sudden operation. Two former army commanders, a leader of a business group in Ankara region and a well known journalist have been taken into custody as well.

Claims under these operations are known as “the under cover preparations of army coap against the ruling party Justice and Development Party. Operations took more than a year without any indictment and there are still people under the custody including Dogu Perincek; the leader of Labor Party. On March, well known columnist, journalist and author Ilhan Selcuk was taken into custody at early morning.

In recent custodies, there names of Sener Eruygur and Hursit Tolon who are former commanders, The Chamber of Trade in Ankara; Sinan Aygun, and Cumhuriyet Newspaper’s Ankara Bureau and well known journalist Mustafa Balbay. Sener Eruygur is also currently the leader of the Atuturk’s Thought Association (ADD). All of the names are known to be against Justice and Development Party and its internal and foreign politics.

Timing of the operations are driving many of the people into doubt as the custodies took place in the same day with Top Prosecutor Abdullah Yalcinkaya verbal defense to support his claims about the closure of Justice and Development Party. The operations have been taking place for so many months, there are also doubts about Justice and Development Party to use police forced to deactivate the names that are in opposition to the party.

Police forces have been also accused many times having close connection with the Fethullah Gulen who is residing in USA and well known controversial figure in Islamic movements about his funding anti-secular global movements through his wide spread schools in many countries. There are various doubts stated by the opposition parties that Justice and Development Party might be using their close connection with police forces in order to destroy any opposition towards the party. Recently heard that Turhan Comez, former Justice and Development Party member of parliament is being searched by the police forces to take into custody as well.

Gokhan KURTARAN