Ergenekon can no longer be ignored

It seemed that it was not worked on thoroughly. Unnecessary information was kept inside in a huge package of private talks that had nothing to do with the essence of the case. The content was partially convincing and some parts were not convincing at all. For a certain group of people there were accusations of "coup attempts" as a group of opponents were tried to be scared away.

Believe it or not, this was a widespread impression. In the second indictment that was mainly changed. There are groups who are still convinced that the Ergenekon case is a plot to keep the opposition silent and to form a regime of pressure. They will never ever change their minds. But the situation today is very different. I can easily say that we are facing something serious here. I have reached this conclusion after reading the second indictment from the beginning to end.
There are exaggerations in the second indictment. You come across so many elements that make you ask, "What does this have to do with coup attempts?" For instance, presentation of plans to topple down the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal or to cause a break down in the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, as a coup theory is unconvincing. Similarly, unnecessary texts of mail exchanges were used in a way to infuriate even the anchorman Uğur Dündar, private conversations and even rumors are included in the blueprint. All discredit the case.

It seems that prosecutors have dumped whatever they have into the document without having solid and reliable evidence. Ironically enough, number one enemy of the Ergenekon case was itself at the beginning. Or rather, prosecutors diluted the case through indictments and created such a mess that I am afraid this case will drown in the quagmire they created because no one believes that the judges will be able to pull off this case.

The Ergenekon lawsuit will continue for years but no conclusion will be reached easily and even the detainees will have to be released at last. It will resemble the DİSK case of the Sept. 12 period. (It had taken 15 years to reach a conclusion in the case and all the accused were acquitted in the end.)

This is what I am afraid of. Someday the real perpetrators may go free.

Despite all criticisms, exaggerations, unnecessary information and risks, the remaining claims are enough to take this case seriously. Or from a quite opposite angle, even if we say that 80 percent of this is just a boloney, the remaining 20 percent is more than enough to prove the seriousness of the Ergenekon lawsuit.

After diaries of the retired admiral Özden Örnek and journalist Mustafa Balbay are bound together with some other information, we face an incredible reality: These people wanted to create chaos in order to capsize the government and then make a coup. I believe everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But this time, I must say, my reservations are not high. And I should say that the evidence presented in the indictment point out the retired generals Şener Eruygur and Hurşit Tolon.

Frankly, I was appalled after reading it through. I was disappointed by the disagreements at the top of the Turkish Armed Forces, or TSK, and to see that we had generals who plotted conspiracy theories and who hate each other. This is not the TSK I know. It means that I was living in dream. In fact, it was so all along, yet we had never realized. Traps prepared to bring down the former Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Özkök, stories of distrust about top military commanders Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt and the current chief Gen. İlker Başbuğ have shattered down public confidence for this institution.

The TSK releases statements frequently and brings to the attention that some parts of the criticisms are badly affecting the institution and are targeting to destroy the most important institution of the country. But unfortunately, the TSK has been harmed the most by its own generals inside whom we all trusted until the end. They worked in an unbelievably negative way to break the TSK apart. They played fast and loose and did not think of what huge chaos a military coup could cause to this country.

The TSK is going through a very critical time. There is the former generals’ situation on one side and there is the evidence especially in the second indictment on the other. I am sure that most of them are confused already. Even if a big chunk is exaggerated, a tiny little section will be enough to pull reactions. But what will happen next? A new page is needed to be open in order to boost up the morale inside TSK and to heal the wounds. The only person who can do this is the Chief Commander Başbuğ and we all should support him.