Chief of Staff's "Envoy" to Jailed Generals Charged with Ties to Assassination of Cypriot Journalist

Criticizing the permissiongranted to Garrison Commander Gen. Galip Mendi to visit the imprisonedErgenekon generals Hurşit Tolon and Şener Eruygur, Hüseyin Yalyalı, a member ofthe board of directors of the Press Laborers Union of Turkish Cypriots, hasdemanded that the permission should be given for the investigation of his role in the murder of Kutlu Adalı.

Kocaeli garrison commander three-stargeneral Mendi had visited both of the generals in the Kandıra prison on behalfof the General Staff.

Yalyalı reminded that Mendi’sname had appeared in Adalı’s murder in Northern Cyprus on July 6,1996 and since the murder was not investigated, the European Human RightsCourt (AİHM) had convicted Turkey.

Adalı was first threatenedand then killed for the articles he had written about the illegal activities ofthe Civil Defense Organization headed by Mendi.

The Church raid, the searchof the graves, Adalı murder…

Yalyalı said, “The GeneralStaff was backing this person in the past, too.”

According to Yalyalı, Mendi’sname is mentioned in the raid of the Saint Barnabas Church, the search of the historicaland old graves; he is known as one of those responsible for these incidents.

Yalyalı says the Civil DefenseOrganization, which was headed by the soldiers, used to do intelligence work ratherthan civil defense.

“This was Ergenekon at its best. I always say that if one wants to look at Cyprus, one will see the laboratoryof the Special War Office of the deep state politics.

Nothing was done in spiteof the EHRC decision. Yalyalı says “Although there were many details such as  the weapons andmaterial kept in this institution, the Uzi gun used to kill Adalı and the fact that the CivilDefense people were at the murder scene before the police and the military,none of them were discussed.”  

He also reminded that themurders the Special War Office of Turkey had committed in Cyprus since1960’s were not limited to the Adalı murder. For example, journalist HaşmetGürkan, who had supported the continuance of the United CyprusRepublic, was killed as well. (EÖ/EÜ/TB)