Assassination and Attack Plans in Third Indictment

The third Ergenekon indictment, accepted by the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court yesterday (5 August) lists many alleged plans of assassination and attack.

Numerous targets

The text refers to plans to kill Ali Balkız, president of the Alevi Bektashi Federation (ABF), Kazım Genç, president of the Pir Sultan Abdal Culture Association (PSAKD), Armenian Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan, Sivas Armenian congregation representative Minas Durmazgüler, Nobel Prize recipient novelist Orhan Pamuk, Metropolitan Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir, Democratic Society Party (DTP) co-chair Ahmet Türk and DTP MP Sebahat Tuncel, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and former Chief of General Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt.

Accusations against Şahin

Detained Ergenekon suspect İbrahim Şahin is a former deputy chief of the police's special operations branch. A map giving details for an attack on Balkız was found in his home. Şahin stands accused of forming and leading the Ergenekon organisation, attempting to overthrow the government or obstructing it in carrying out its duties, having weapons of great number or strength, as well as dangerous substances, obtaining secret documents relating to state security and other secret documents, collecting personal information in an illegal manner, and attempting to overthrow parliament or obstructing it in carrying out its duties.

Anti-Armenian plans

Retired general Veli Küçük, defendant in the first Ergenekon case, has been found to have frequently spoken on the phone to Fatma Cengiz, defendant in the third Ergenekon trial. Küçük said, "I am the first president of an organisation formed against the Armenians" and "There is a duty; Armenians must be killed."

Attacks on Cumhuriyet and State Council

The third indictment also mentions the attacks on the Cumhuriyet newspaper and the State Council.

The newspaper was bombed on 5, 10 and 11 May 2006 after publishing a caricature related to the headscarf debate.

On 17 May 2006, an attack on the 2nd Chamber of the State Council in Ankara killed judge Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin and injured others.

These attacks have been merged with the first Ergenekon trial.

Attack on court planned

The third indictment further lists a planned attack on the Supreme Court of Appeals, citing as evidence a map found on a CD labelled "Supreme Court of Appeals" at the headquarters of the Workers' Party (İP), the leader of which, Doğu Perinçek, is a defendant in the first Ergenekon trial.

Assassination prevented

An attack against Minas Durmazgüler in Sivas was prevented when suspect Oğuz Bulut was caught with two hand grenades and Ersin Gönenci with a Browning.

 A "terrorisation" plan found with defendant Şahin contained detailed plans of the home of Armenian Patriarch Mutafyan as well as the Patriarchate. The attacks were supposed to use light anti-tank weapons (LAW), so the indictment. A police officer named Kenan Temur was supposed to head the operation, while Fatma Cengiz was supposed to procure weapons and a Yaşar Oğuz Şahin was supposed to act as lookout.

Prime Minister also a target

Based on maps of Prime Minister Erdoğan's home found at the military lodgings of Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Dönmez, the indictment also presumes that an attack was planned on him.

The Optimum shopping centre in Ankara is also said to have been chosen as a target for bombing.

DTP members

Defendant Mehmet Fikri Karadağ, a retired colonel and the president of the ultranationalist Kuvvayi Milliye Association, stands accused of having made plans to assassinate DTP members Baydemir, Türk and Tuncel. (EÖ/AG)