New Detentions In The Ergenekon Investigation

Yesterday, twenty one people were detained in operations in connection with the Ergenekon investigation. 

Early in the morning, the retired generals Hurşit Tolon, İlker Güven,  Şener Eruygur, former head of the Gendarmerie Forces and president of the Atatürkist Thought Association, Levent Ersöz, former Gendarmerie General Command Intelligence Department head, and Mustafa Balbay, the Ankara bureau chief of the daily “Cumhuriyet”, Sinan Aygün, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman, Birol Başaran, former head of the ADD's Kadıköy chapter and chairman of the Nationalist Businessmen's Association (USİAD), Coşkun Gürel, ADD Kadıköy's current Chairman, a former colonel, and Erol Mütercimler, a famous journalist, were among the ones detained.

According to CNNTurk.com, in Trabzon, Prof. Dr. Ercüment Ovalı, general manager of Ati Teknoloji Özel Sağlık Hizmetleri, in Antalya, a retired colonel Hasan Atilla Uğur and O.G  were taken into police custody as well.

According to Milliyet.com.tr, Adnan Türkkan, founder of the Turkish Youth Association (TGB) in İstanbul, was also detained.

Police is searching for the former Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Turhan Çömez. He will be detained as soon as he returns to Turkey.

The prosecutor said that some of those who were detained outside of Istanbul were brought to Istanbul and the rest were on their way.  

Prime Minister: The detentions are to complete the indictment

According to ntvmsnbc.com, the Prime Minister said that they were expecting the announcement of the indictment any time now. He added that these detentions were probably to complete the indictment.

DTP: AKP is putting its own needs first in its struggle against the gangs

Democratic Society Party’s (DTP) acting president Emine Ayna said that the government was conducting the operation in accordance with its own political program. “It would be too much to expect, nothing less than dreaming, that this mentality which puts its own needs first would bring democracy to Turkey.”

Ayna indicated that “the detentions were conducted on the same day with the Chief Prosecutor’s AKP closure case oral presentation at the Constitutional Court and this created suspicion in public.”

Head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahçeli said that the prosecutors conducting this investigation should make better use of their time and present a well-organized and easily understood indictment to the Turkish people.

Cüneyt Arcayürek, a columnist in the newspaper “Cumhuriyet” said that the prosecutor was unaware of the detentions.

Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said that procedurally, the detention decisions are not given by the Chief Prosecutor him/herself, but the prosecutors who are conducting the investigation.