Ergenekon cocktail

Indeed Turkey has turned into a laboratory for a rather strange experiment: How to scare and silence the opposition while at the same time pretend as if you are acting on crime and promoting democracy?

Some people have started arguing that if the Ergenekon prosecutor can still demand the detention of some people despite Wednesday’s "summit of powers" chaired by President Abdullah Gül after which the presidency issued a rather stringent message that "a rigorous attachment to the supremacy of law and its basic principles and maximum attention to procedural laws will consolidate the public’s trust" there must be some real hard evidence to merit those detentions.

There is, of course, logic in such thinking particularly in view of the fact that the Judges and Prosecutors High Board has just appointed three new prosecutors to join the Ergenekon prosecutors on the one hand, while heads of all high courts have been calling for full respect to the procedures of trial.

Why should a prosecutor order house ambushes at 5 a.m. despite stipulations of the Law on the Procedures of Trial that clearly state that police or gendarmerie can search houses or offices in daytime hours and after taking every possible measure not to violate sanctity of private lives?

Procedures? What?
Were the prosecutor and the court challenging the presidential statement which was issued after a summit-luncheon President Gül? Were they telling our president with an almond moustache "mind your own business"?

Or, were the prosecutor and the judge angered with their inability to keep behind bars three retired top generals -- who were detained under the tenth wave but released within a short period after the discussions Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ had over "current issues" with both Gül and Erdoğan -- and engaged in a revanchist drive?

Or, can we assume that neither the prosecutor nor the court were affected with Başbuğ’s talks with Erdoğan and Gül, Gül’s meeting with the heads of the three powers and the call of high courts asking for respects of procedures of trial and continued its planned 11th wave of Ergenekon detentions in the fashion reported by the media in allegiance with the government?

The pro-government media had reported that the 11th wave would be on the media and political wing of the Ergenekon gang. The prosecutor has apparently aimed at many birds in one go. While Erhan Göksel, a leading strategist and political analyst, was detained, as he is not a full-fledged politician, perhaps the political wing was left to another wave.

But, with the detention of Ünal İnanç, a 45-year journalist, dean of justice and police reporters on the one hand and the detention of Mustafa Özbek, the boss of the Eurasia TV channel and chairman of the Türk Metal Labor Union, was a sufficient strong blow on the media. Besides, as Özbek was having a trade unionist cap as well, it was a sufficiently strong blow to labor unions.

Shall we make an Ergenekon cocktail now?

Take a few underground figures or people known in the public as criminals. Add to that some corrupt retired officers or ex-policemen. Stir for a while and then add to it a bunch of academics and some veteran journalists. To give your drink an exciting aroma, just dip in few top generals briefly and then take them out. Fill the rest with anti-government figures.

Stir it well while reciting at the same time from the teachings of Fethullah Gülen and repeating the cliché: "They were to disrupt public order and incite a military coup." Serve in cold glasses. If the customers don’t like the taste, add a few more criminals, some colorful personalities and some die-hard opponents and serve again.