Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 5 2009

Alperen Ocakları may become loose cannon after losing leader

The tragic death of BBP leader Muhsin YazıcıoÄ?lu
left his party and its highly controversial youth branch, Alperen
Ocakları, without a leader.

The tragic death of Muhsin YazıcıoÄ?lu, leader of
the Grand Unity Party (BBP), in a helicopter crash in
KahramanmaraÅ? ahead of the local elections of March 29 left his
party and Alperen Ocakları, its youth branch, without a leader.

The subject of Alperen Ocakları had been hotly debated in
connection with the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist and
Agos newsweekly Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink. It has generally been
suggested that after the death of YazıcıoÄ?lu, the
young people who were gathered under the roof of this organization,
which promotes Turkish and Islamic ideals, may create bigger security
risks. The questions are: Who will control this organization? And how?
Is it likely for this organization to be absorbed by the youth
branches of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), from which it
sprung?

Alperen Ocakları was originally established in 1997 under the
name Nizam-ı Alem Ocakları, later changing its name to
the present form. In the past, they have been the subject of heated
discussions on several occasions. During the 20th parliamentary term,
former Republican People’s Party (CHP) Erzincan deputy Mustafa Kul
submitted an inquiry motion to Parliament, claiming that
Nizam-ı Alem Ocakları represented a dangerous
5,000-member organization.

He claimed that this organization had established special units in
order to support the Kosovo Liberation Army in the liberation struggle
of Kosovo in the 1990s. The head of the organization at the time had
argued that the units would perform humanitarian work. Yet, Kul had
asked: "Wouldn’t this army being established pose problems with
respect to international conventions? Isn’t it potentially dangerous
for the country to give armed training to 5,000 people?"

This debate had been reported by the Athens-based Eksusia newspaper in
its April 27, 1999, edition, claiming that Albanian gangs were being
supported by Turkish organizations. Nizam-ı Alem
Ocakları was frequently mentioned with respect to wars in
Afghanistan, Chechnya and Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the attempts
to overthrow Haydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan. In 2000 the group was closed
down and replaced by Alperen Ocakları.

The new organization became as famous as its predecessor, particularly
with respect to the murder of Dink. When the Ergenekon investigation
started, this organization was alleged to have been manipulated by
retired Gen. Veli Küçük, a defendant in the
Ergenekon trial — in which an illegal network with links to the state
is being charged with attempting to overthrow the government — and to
have taken an active role in a coup attempt in Azerbaijan.

Yasin Hayal, who was the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Dink
and the one who manipulated Ogün Samast into carrying out the
killing, was claimed to have been trained in Chechnya. Hayal would
shout "Long live Nizam-ı Alem!" at the end of every hearing,
but this was not enough to reveal the depths of the
organization. Furthermore, Erhan Tuncel, a police informer, whose role
in the Dink murder is yet to be illuminated, was supposedly a member
of the BBP.

When the Ergenekon investigation started,
YazıcıoÄ?lu convened the heads of branches of
Alperen Ocakları in Ankara, telling them that the Ergenekon
terrorist organization was planning to use Alperen Ocakları in
street skirmishes; he cautioned them to keep away from Ergenekon. This
was a definite order. YazıcıoÄ?lu had sensed at an
early stage the risk of this dynamic organization being used for
street altercations. However, the sudden death of
YazıcıoÄ?lu left Alperen Ocakları without a
leader and open to all sorts of provocations.

When Samast was caught in Samsun, a photo showed him with a Turkish
flag and the background writing "Homeland is holy and cannot be left
to its own devices." Also, considering the murder of Italian priest
Andrea Santoro in Trabzon, İstanbul Gov. Muammer Güler
said: "These kids provoke each other. The missionary activities there
provoke them." In other words, the organization was open to external
manipulation and incitement.

Emir KuÅ?demir, the first chairman of Nizam-ı Alem
Ocakları, says the relationship between Hayal and Samast and
Alperen Ocakları is dubious. KuÅ?demir notes that he had
been tried in connection with Ã`lkü Ocakları, the
youth branch of the MHP, after the military coup of Sept. 12, 1980,
and sentenced to 12 years in prison. "While we were on trial, we were
forced to confess the connection with Ã`lkü Ocakları
and Alparslan TürkeÅ?. We were tortured, but we would not
talk about the tie between the party and the organization. Now, after
every hearing, Hayal shouts ‘Long live Nizam-ı Alem!’ A true
Nizam-ı Alem member would not do this. Who is manipulating
things should be investigated," he says.

Not only in the murder of Dink, but also in the Council of State
attack — a shooting attack in which a senior judge was killed —
which was the most important act of the Ergenekon terrorist
organization, the connections of the BBP and Nizam-ı Alem
Ocakları can be deciphered. Lawyer Alparslan Arslan, who killed
Mustafa Ã-zbilgin and wounded three judges, was found to be a
former BBP and Nizam-ı Alem Ocakları member. Initially,
the attack had been reported as a reactionary deed committed in order
to protect the headscarf ban. However, the police later found that the
hand grenades used in the attack had the same serial numbers as the
bombs used in an attack against the Cumhuriyet daily.

What will become of Alperen Ocakları and the BBP?

The fate of the BBP and Alperen Ocakları is uncertain after the
death of YazıcıoÄ?lu.

The BBP is currently being chaired by Deputy Chairman
Yalçın Topçu and will hold an extraordinary party
congress where the future of the party will be decided.

Given the existing economic troubles, it is unlikely that the party
will survive, but some arrangement must be made in order for Alperen
Ocakları not to be left hanging. The likelihood of the BBP’s
youth branches being manipulated by illegal organizations is unnerving
to everyone now that it has been released from the tight control of
YazıcıoÄ?lu.

Mahir Damatlar, a close colleague of YazıcıoÄ?lu,
had left the BBP when YazıcıoÄ?lu was alive. Three
years ago, Ã-kkeÅ? Å?endiller, who was held responsible
for incidents in KahramanmaraÅ? ahead of the coup of Sept. 12,
1980 coup, left the party and suggested that
YazıcıoÄ?lu should close it down. Whether these
former BBP politicians will return and run for the leadership of the
party is not known. Koray Aydın, former minister of public
works and settlement from the MHP, is known to have aspirations for
leadership of a party to make a comeback. It is claimed that
Aydın, who was visiting the party when the helicopter crashed,
wishes to assume leadership of the BBP by using his financial
resources.

Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, from the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party), gave an oil filling station to the BBP,
clearly with ulterior motives. While the party members are quite
satisfied with Gökçek’s gift, they are still curious
about its possible consequences. It is maintained that
Gökçek may attempt to use the BBP and Alperen
Ocakları in his long term political ambitions.

KuÅ?demir believes it is no longer possible for the party and
the youth organization to survive. He argues that the best option is
to merge Alperen Ocakları with Ã`lke Ocakları. But
this solution will not suit some members of Alperen
Ocakları. The course that Alperen Ocakları, which plans
to be chaired by Mahir Damatlar for the time being, takes is relevant
to the future of Turkey.

05 April 2009, Sunday
ERCAN YAVUZ ANKARA

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress