Journalist ’diaries’ enter Ergenekon lore
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Hurriyet Daily News
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Police have found new "diaries" on arrested journalist Mustafa Balbay’s computer while investigating the Ergenekon case. The notes attributed to Balbay cover records of conversations with top military officials who discussed ways to topple the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government.
According to the notes, Ergenekon suspect Gen. Åžener Eruygur met with journalists Feb. 10, 2004, and said they should join forces against the AKP. The notes were posted on the Tempo24 Web site Monday.
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In reference to former Chief of Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök, who was accused by staunch secularists of being "soft" toward the government, Eruygur said, "one percent" has to abide by the "99 percent," meaning their supporters.
The notes also included the records of a conversation with the General Staff’s legal adviser, Maj. Gen. Erdal Şenel, regarding the National Security Council meeting Feb. 28, 1997, when measures against reactionary activities were taken, leading to the government's collapse. "We would finish the job on Feb. 28. We, three people, had planned it. We prepared everything, including the Cabinet but Karadayı (the term’s Chief of Staff) lulled us," the notes quoted Şenel saying.
The Ergenekon case started after the discovery of 27 hand grenades on June 12, 2007, in a shanty house in Istanbul's Ümraniye district that belonged to a retired noncommissioned officer. Police investigations have revealed an alleged ultra-nationalist Ergenekon gang that sought to topple the government by staging a coup in 2009. Later, news magazine Nokta published extracts from a diary, saying it belonged to former Navy Commander Özden Örnek. The extracts included details of coup plots against the government. Earlier bombings of daily Cumhuriyet, the murder of Hrant Dink, the murder of the top judge of the Council of State and alleged plans for the assassination of high-profile figures in Turkish politics are sometimes associated with the case.
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In reference to former Chief of Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök, who was accused by staunch secularists of being "soft" toward the government, Eruygur said, "one percent" has to abide by the "99 percent," meaning their supporters.
The notes also included the records of a conversation with the General Staff’s legal adviser, Maj. Gen. Erdal Şenel, regarding the National Security Council meeting Feb. 28, 1997, when measures against reactionary activities were taken, leading to the government's collapse. "We would finish the job on Feb. 28. We, three people, had planned it. We prepared everything, including the Cabinet but Karadayı (the term’s Chief of Staff) lulled us," the notes quoted Şenel saying.
The Ergenekon case started after the discovery of 27 hand grenades on June 12, 2007, in a shanty house in Istanbul's Ümraniye district that belonged to a retired noncommissioned officer. Police investigations have revealed an alleged ultra-nationalist Ergenekon gang that sought to topple the government by staging a coup in 2009. Later, news magazine Nokta published extracts from a diary, saying it belonged to former Navy Commander Özden Örnek. The extracts included details of coup plots against the government. Earlier bombings of daily Cumhuriyet, the murder of Hrant Dink, the murder of the top judge of the Council of State and alleged plans for the assassination of high-profile figures in Turkish politics are sometimes associated with the case.