Ergenekon Raid: 39 People in 4-Day Custody

A 12th wave of police raids and detentions in the Ergenekon investigation was carried out on Monday, 13 April. 39 people, most of them current or former university rectors, lecturers or members of the Assocation for the Support of Modern Life (ÇYDD) have been taken to Istanbul.

According to NTV, the prosecution has allowed the police to hold those in custody for four days.

Police searches

Police searched Başkent University, Kanal B TV station and Patalya Hotel in Ankara, the Modern Education Foundation (ÇEV) and the homes of several university lecturers. Branches of the ÇYDD were searched in Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Bursa, Trabzon, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin, Van, Izmir and Adana.

Rectors and academics

The home of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal was searched. Haberal is the founder and rector of Başkent University, and owner of Başkent Hospital and Kanal B. Also searched were the homes of Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan, president of the ÇYDD, Prof. Dr. Erol Manisalı, lecturer at Istanbul University’s law faculty, and Prof. Dr. Ferit Bernay, former rector of the 19th May University in Samsun.

Haberal, Manisalı and Bernay were taken into custody, as were Prof. Dr. Osman Metin Öztürk, rector of Giresun University, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yurtkuran, vice chair of the Ataturkist Thought Association (ADD) and former rector of Uludağ University, and Prof. Dr. Fatih Hilmioğlu, former rector of Malatya University.

Others taken into custody were Tijen Mergen, Doğan Journalism performance board member, who, together with the ÇYDD organised the project “Father send me to school”, and Namık Kemal Boya, general secretary of the 68’ers Foundation.

Detentions for ÇYDD branch presidents

According to the Radikal newspaper, others taken into custody are: Nur Gerçel, lawyer and ÇYDD head quarters managing board member, Prof. Dr. Cihan Demirci, Prof. Dr. Filiz Meriçli, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, ÇYDD Pendik branch president Şeyda Eşsiz, Beyoğlu branch president Oya Adalı, Bakırköy branch president Gürsel Alparslan, Kadıköy branch president Alev Ocaktar, Kartal branch president Belkıs Bağ, and Kağıthane branch president Dr. Naci Gürpınar. (EÖ/AG)