MHP’S BAHCELI EXPRESSES DOUBT OVER ERGENEKON PROBE

Today’s Zaman
April 15 2009
Turkey

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli has expressed
doubt over the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a criminal gang
charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

"Doubts that the law is being used for political interests and that
justice is being used by the ruling Justice and Development Party [AK
Party] as a means to intimidate certain groups are becoming stronger
within society," Bahceli said yesterday while delivering a speech at
his party’s parliamentary group gathering.

Bahceli’s remarks came shortly after the detention of tens of people on
Monday as part of the Ergenekon probe. Former and current university
rectors as well as members of the Support for Modern Life Association
(CYDD) were among the detainees.

"Everybody has to trust Turkish justice and wait patiently till the end
of the judicial process. However, the fact that the judicial process
keeps extending its scope and is constantly on the agenda raises doubts
about social peace. Our expectation is that they will refrain from
any act that may damage the dignity of innocent people. … Otherwise,
people will lose their faith in justice under the shadow of politics
and ideology," Bahceli remarked.

The MHP leader accused the AK Party government of making concessions
to foreign states for the sake of joining the European Union.

"Pledges made, documents signed and impositions bowed to by the
AK Party will lead to a deep pain in the dignity of the Turkish
nation. … The government has recently been engaged in treachery
against its own nation in cooperation with lobbies in Arbil, Brussels,
Washington and Yerevan. The government is now suffering from the
consequences of developments it previously misinterpreted and is
being rapidly dragged to recognize the baseless claims of a genocide
of Armenians," Bahceli stated.

Bahceli also slammed the government for having amended the infamous
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), under which several
intellectuals have been tried so far for allegedly insulting
Turkishness.

"What lies behind the amendment of Article 301 is the paving of a
path to garner greater support for the Armenian lie of genocide,"
he claimed.

The article in question, which the EU had previously been highly
critical of Turkey for not amending, was changed last May. A number
of intellectuals and activists, including Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan
Pamuk and Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated
in 2007, landed in court for "insulting Turkishness."