Minister Gave Order for "Return to Life" Operation

The records dated 17 December 2000 registered by the Çanakkale Public Chief Prosecution were presented to court in the scope of the Çanakkale Prison trial regarding the "Return to Life" operation. According to the minutes, the then Prisons and Arrest Stations General Manager Ali Suat Ertosun communicated the decision for the attack by the gendarmerie.

The order for the operation came from the Ministry of the Interior on 14 December. Sadettin Tantan, Minster of the Interior at the time, had previously said, "We did not play any role in the operation".

Operation plan contradicts ministers

Five inmates and one soldier died in the course of the operation at the Çanakkale E Type Prison. The "Return to Life" operation was carried out on 19-22 December 2000 in 20 prisons in Istanbul. The police violently ended the "death fasts" of hundreds of political prisoners who had protested against a transfer from large wardens to F-type cells with only 3 or 4 prisoners. 30 detainees and inmates and two soldiers died in the course of the operation. Together with the people who died in subsequent hunger strikes, a total of 122 people lost their lives. More than 600 people remained handicapped.

The operation plan "Storm" emerged before the hearing of the Bayrampaşa Trial on 6 April. The Bayrampaşa Prison was also involved in the Return to Life operation. This plan proved that the operation was directed by General Engin Hoş and Colonel Burhan Ergin.

The document also revealed that the decision for the operation was taken well in advance. The gendarmerie officers' statement that there were weapons in the prison cells was refuted by the report of the Forensic Medicine.

Journalist Ahmet Şık, detained at the Silivri Prison in the context of the Ergenekon investigation, was on trial for making the plan available to the public.

Hikmet Sami Türk, then Minister of Jutice, and Ertosun announced last week that they had not been informed about the operation. On the other hand, the then Public Prosecutor stated the Ministry of Justice as the place where the order for the operation came from.

According to the records signed by Public Prosecutor Kemal Canbaz on 15 and 18 December 2000, the order for the operation was signed by Ferzan Çitici, Istanbul Public Chief Prosecutor at the time, and came via an encrypted telephone call from the Minstry.

Ertosun ordered intervention over the phone

Another document presented to court in the context of the Çanakkale trial revealed that Ertosun gave the permission for the intervention over the phone. The document proves that the order for the operation came from the Ministries of Justice and the Interior and that the decision was issued from Ankara.

The minutes of the Çanakkale Public Chief Prosecution dated 17 December 2000 included the information that Ertosun, Undersecretary of the Justice Ministry İhsan Erbaş and Head of Operations ret. Gen. Osman Özbek called the Çanakkale Provincial Gendarmerie Command on 18 December at 7.00 pm to inform them about the decision of the operation.

Ertosun, member of the Judges and Prosecutors Supreme Board (HSYK), was rewarded with the Medal for Distinguished State Services in 2004. The medal was bestowed by the then Minister of Justice Cemil Çiçek on behalf of the President.

Tantan admitted that National Security Council decided

The minutes furthermore disclosed that the order for an attack on the prison on 19 December at 5.00 am was given by the Ministry of the Interior.

Former Minster of the Interior Tantan said in a joint press release with Turan Genç, Chief of Police at the time, "The shame of the state was cleaned up".

In a statement made last week, Tantan admitted that the decision for the operation had been taken at the National Security Council (MGK). In the same statement, Tantan had claimed, "The Ministry of Justice did not play any role in the operation".

The record was signed by the following people on duty at the time: Operation Commander General Kemal Bayalan, Chief Prosecutor Abdülkadir İlhan, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Kamil Çil, Chief of Police Bülent Kenaroğlu, Public Prosecutor for Prisons Mehmet Barut, Prison Gendarmerie Squad Commander Gendarmerie Captain Ali Güleryüz and First Director of Prison Fahri Baran. (AS/VK)