Ergenekon Operation: Eight Released, 18 in Court

Of the 39 people taken into custody in the morning of 13 April as part of a twelve wave of Ergenekon detentions, eighteen people have been taken to court in Istanbul, among them, the former 19th May University rector Prof. Dr. Ferit Bernay from Samsun, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yurtkuran, former rector of Uludağ University in Bursa, and vice president of the Ataturkist Thought Association (ADD), and Giresun University rector Prof. Dr. Osman Metin Öztürk, Prof. Dr. Erol Manisalı from Istanbul University, and Prof. Dr. Fatih Hilmioğlu, former rector of Malatya University.

Another person taken to court was Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel, of the medical faculty at Van’s 100th Year University and member of the managing board of the Association for the Support of Modern Life (ÇYDD).

In the afternoon of Thursday, 16 April, others were still being held at the Istanbul Police organised crime branch. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal, rector of Ankara’s Başkent University, was still being held at the anti-terrorism branch.

Eight people released

On the other hand, eight people were released on Wednesday evening, among them Tijen Mergen, Doğan Journalism performance board member, who, together with the ÇYDD organised the project “Father send me to school”, and ÇYDD representatives Perran Yorgancıgıl and Ferhat Şenatalar.

Among those still in custody are several members of the ÇYDD general central managing board and branch presidents.

Condemnation of recent detentions

In a press statement on Wednesday at the Marmara Hotel, many people, among them famous actors, protested against the Ergenekon investigation.

Around 100 people said that those taken into custody were labelled as criminals, and they demanded an end to anti-democratic practices. (EÖ/AGÜ)