The manuscript of the unpublished book "The Imam's Army" ('İmamın Ordusu') written by detained journalists Ahmet Şık was now leaked to the internet. The book made the headlines this week after its draft versions had been seized upon the order of the Istanbul Chief Prosecution in the context of the Ergenekon investigation. Journalist Şık was arrested on 6 March in relation to the probe into the clandestine Ergenekon organization. His book reportedly deals with alleged connections of the Fetullah Gülen Religious Community with the police.
It is not known yet by whom the manuscript was posted online. It appeared on the social networking site Twitter on Thursday (31 March) afternoon. The document scribd.com that contains the draft of Şık's unpublished book is accessible under http://www.scribd.com/doc/51984426/dokunan-yanar. Journalist Aydın Engin told bianet that the download was identical with the copy he had.
According to Engin, the draft was recently sent to him by Ahmet Şık in order to get his opinion.
Şık was taken in custody on 3 March and arrested three days later under allegations of membership in the ultra-nationalist Ergenekon organization. Subsequently, the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court started a series of operations and seized a number of draft versions in order to prevent the publishing of the book.
Drafts were deleted from computers at the Radikal newspaper and the Ithaki Publishing House. After that, the Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court decreed to ban the book from publishing and sales and sent the corresponding court decision to all bookstores and stationary shops. (EÖ/VK)