The World's Aaron Schachter reports from Istanbul on a court case that's rocking Turkey. It involves an alleged plot to topple Turkey's Islamist-based government.
This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI's THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI's THE WORLD is the program audio.
KATY CLARK: A controversial court case in under way in Turkey. The case involves an alleged ultra-nationalist plot to topple the Turkish Islamist-based government. Some observers say the ruling AK Party is finally rooting out dangerous elements. But others say the government is pursuing the case solely for political gain, and that sentiment could affect the outcome of this weekend's municipal elections. The World's Aaron Schachter reports from Istanbul.
AARON SCHACHTER: The length of the court filing makes Tolstoy's “War and Peace†look like a short story – and it has an equally long cast of characters. They include high ranking former Army officers -- two Generals, in fact – as well as journalists and powerful underground figures. Turkish prosecutors argue this so-called group planned to foment unrest by assassinating political and cultural leaders. That might have prompted the secular army to seize power from the current Islamist-leaning government to stabilize the country.
AKYOL: In Turkey, we have a tradition of the “deep stateâ€, as we call it. The deep state basically means state organizations that do criminal things in order to take down the enemies of the state.
SCHACHTER: Mustafa Akyol is a columnist for the Daily Hurriyet newspaper. The group now on trial is known here as Ergenekon, named after a mythical valley celebrated by ancient Turks. Akyol says shedding light on the “deep state†is actually good for Turkey's democracy.
AKYOL: Because there was this idea that if someone was a nationalist, if someone was a follower of Ataturk, whatever that person does is great. We are seeing that people who are nationalists and are patriots can also be fascists and can also be criminals. And if Turkey gets that, if Turkey moves beyond that, I think it can be an important contribution to the democratization of Turkey.
SCHACHTER: Well, yes and no. Nasser Koeni is a Turkish legal scholar. He believes that an Ergenekon network existed, and that it was made up of people willing to do some unsavory things. But he's deeply suspicious about the timing of the case and the ruling AK Party's role in it. In fact, he says, it seems like the government is trying to convict people for what they might have done – not an especially democratic initiative.
KOENI: This happened, according to documents, in 2004. Why all this process now? Because all the people are now retired. And retired military cannot make a coup. I mean, this was an unsuccessful attempt, and it's gone.
SCHACHTER: Koeni calls this case legal harassment, which has a long history in Turkey. Various Turkish governments and political parties have initiated questionable court cases, just to rake opponents over the coals and send a message. Ilter Turan, a political science professor at Bilgi University in Istanbul, says sending a message to future groups like Ergenekon isn't a bad idea. But, he says, this particular case does suggest that the ruling AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam, is trying to silence its secular critics. He points to the careless and sloppy way the case has been handled.
TURAN: A lot of eavesdropping. For example, people have been kept in custody without being told what it is they're being kept in custody for, for unreasonable amounts of time. People have been taken in, released, taken back in again. And these aren't necessarily indicators of a well-prepared case.
SCHACHTER: But one commentator says Turks should put faith in their judiciary – perhaps the country's one trustworthy institution. Yasar Nuri Ozturk is a former member of the Turkish parliament and is now an author. He says the court wouldn't have allowed this to go on for so many months if there were no case. Ozturk says, “No matter what, I trust the judiciary in Turkey. This is a very long process, and it's not just about politics. Issues of legal malpractice may eventually develop, but I don't think it will be in the judiciary. In any case,†Ozturk says, “I will suspend judgment until the case is over.†Come next week we'll know whether average Turks suspended judgment as well and elected members of the AK Party as mayors and local officials across the country. For The World, I'm Aaron Schachter, Istanbul, Turkey.
CLARK: News headlines are next on PRI, Public Radio International.
transcript