SERVING TIME IN METRIS

Turkish Daily News
July 9 2008
Turkey

What others say

Two retired top generals are accused of founding a terrorist
organization. They were sent to Metris Prison and we took a new turn
in the Ergenekon crime gang investigation.

This is a first that two top generals are sent to prison for a coup
attempt.

We don’t have enough information about why the Ergenekon prosecutor
demanded the arrest of these retired generals. When the case is
started, the prosecutor will have to prove this is a coup attempt
and the generals will have to defend that it is not.

There is evidence, however, that no political balance or settling of
scores can cast a shadow over.

For instance, the position of the gendarmerie intelligence in the
murder case of the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink. Could it
be just a coincidence that while we went through the presidential
election crisis last year, pro-coups were given immunities in the
Republican People’s Party, or CHP?

So the general’s being put in Metris shouldn’t be underestimated.

Ergenekon’s anatomy

DOÄ~^AN TILIC, Birgun

Can Dundar of the Milliyet daily said both Ergenekon and the Justice
and Development Party, or AKP, are products of the state. Since they
were like twin brothers, they will not turn against each other and
will eventually have a truce.

This is what I am trying to say: Since this is an internal conflict,
we will not have a big score on behalf of democracy in the end. This
settling the score business will not end the coups period.

Of course there could be some social benefits but if the Ergenekon
case is not conducted well, that could back fire.

Since the military has showed no reaction to the two retired generals
being sent to Metris Prison, there should be some sort of a consensus
on this. Perhaps with this, a group of "neo-nationalists" is being
eliminated from the military.

Being a leftist requires being pro-independence but it at the same time
requires being an internationalist, a liberal and being proletarian.

If we, as leftists, have to take sides in this, we better check out
which of the parties support laborers, freedom and internationalism.

Toward a clean society?

NABÄ° YAÄ~^CI, Referans

Undoubtedly the arrest of two retired generals for a coup attempt
is a first in our Republic’s history. And we have a chance to get
involved in the process as civil society organizations, intellectuals
and citizens.

The difficulties we are going through today are the product of a
democratic change and renewal process. We have always dreamed of
being a clean society and now the structure of the deep state is
being unveiled.

I hope the Ergenekon indictment will help us to better understand
the history of conspiracies in Turkey. But it is not easy to create
a clean society. Our main guarantee will be a strong political will
and the support of intellectuals and ordinary people.

Even the "Coup Diaries" prove how serious Ergenekon is. Aren’t they
monumental evidence for this case? Let’s put our own interpretations
aside and let’s benefit from this "once in a life time" opportunity.

–Boundary_(ID_RslPbMgNo9iQWvs0hjGS/ A)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress