A Navy Officer, Ergenekon Suspect, Commits Suicide

Navy Commander Ali Tatar committed suicide on 20 December. He was soon going to be detained again in the context of the investigation known as the "assassination of the admirals".

42-year-old Tatar had been arrested on 7 December because of documents regarding the navy command seized in Poyrazköy, a fishing village on the northern shore of the Bosporus. Upon the objection of his lawyer, Tatar was released on 16 December. After another objection on behalf of the prosecutor's office it was decided on 18 December to arrest him again.

In a commemoration ceremony in the Karacaahmet Cem house (Alevi place of worship) Tatar's wife Nilüfer Tatar held prosecutor Süleyman Pehlivan, who carries out the investigation, responsible for the death of her husband. Tatar is buried today in Ankara.

The investigation was initiated in July upon a denunciation message sent to the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) and the Istanbul Police Directorate. In the message it was stated that a group of senior personal form the Naval Forces Command was involved into drug trafficking and that the group transferred financial aid to the Ergenekon organization, a clandestine terrorist organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government. The message put forward that in the course of searches of the lieutenants' homes in Bahçelievler (Istanbul) and Gölcük TNT blocks were found and also assassination plans related to 2 admirals. Allegedly, a hand written note said that "according to the inspection report of Colonel T.D., Levent Bektaş and colonel O.Y. are going to forward details and information about the dates regarding the operations related to the commanders named 'Metin' and 'Uğur'. Bektaş, mentioned in the note, was arrested in the scope of the Ergenekon investigation. Colonel T.D. was interrogated in the context of the Ergenekon investigation as well together with Colonel Dursun Çiçek.

Assassination suspect for Ersöz

Ergenekon defendant retired Brigadier General Levent Ersöz is undergoing medical treatment in a hospital. A retired specialist sergeant carrying weapons was arrested the previous night in the waiting room of the very same hospital.

As reported by Rakikal newspaper, the suspect called Erhan Keskin fired into the air when security officials intervened. Keskin was armed with 2 weapons of which one was a blank gun. He was taken into custody.

Suspicious deaths of soldiers

Akşam newspaper drew attention to suspicious deaths of officers that happened during the last 2 years.

Physician Lieutenant Colonel Nursal Gedik from the North Sea Area Command was said to have committed suicide in 2007. However, his family denied any suicide allegations.

Retired Colonel Abdülkerim Kırca was found dead in his housing provided by the military in January this year. He had been accused for many unsolved murders by Abdülkadir Aygan, former member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party and member of JİTEM (clandestine and illegal Gendarmerie Intelligence Anti-Terrorism Unit).

Senior Captain Olgun Vural supposedly committed suicide in March 2009. Vural was included in the Ergenekon indictment.

Judge Lieutenant Colonel Tanju Ünal from the Southern Sea Area Command is said to have committed suicide on 26 June. Ünal was court president in the case against İlhami Erdil, former staff of the Naval Forces Command.

Retired General Staff Colonel Ali Bergütay Varımlı allegedly committed suicide on 21 November. He was among the officers testifying in the Ergenekon case. He had been a witness in the case against İlhami Erdil.

Radikal also recalled the death of retired Navy Colonel Birol Atakan who died in a car accident in May 2007. (TK/VK)