Zekeriya Öz Deposed as Special Authority Prosecutor

Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz, responsible for the Ergenekon investigation up to the present, was now appointed to a new position as Deputy Public Chief Prosecutor of Istanbul. The change is part of a decree by the Judges and Prosecutors Supreme Council (HSYK) that ordered the re-appointment of 128 judges and prosecutors.

As the new Deputy Public Chief Prosecutor, Öz was deprived of the special authorities he held in accordance with his previous position. Hence, he will not have any power of decision in the context of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation any more, a probe into the clandestine Ergenekon organization charged with the attempt to overthrow the government.

Both of the other prosecutors involved into the Ergenekon probe, Fikret Seçen and Ercan Şafak, were appointed as Deputy Public Chief Prosecutors as well.

Loss of special authority

The appointment means that Öz does not hold any special authority any longer. Thus, he will not be able to interfere in the Ergenekon investigation any more. Seçen on the other hand, appointed to the position of the Istanbul Public Chief Prosecution with Special Authorization, is now being authorized for the appointment and co-ordination of prosecutors in the scope of the Ergenekon investigation.

"Investigation reached a disturbing point"

Retired Court of Appeals Prosecutor Ahmet Gündel said in a statement on the Turkish news channel NTV that such a decision taken by the HSYK could have an influence on the problems experienced in the context with the investigations about detained journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener.

"The arrest of Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener undermined the credit of the investigation and left Turkey in a difficult situation on an international scale. I think that the lack of sufficient evidence against Şık and Şener disturbed not only me but also the HSYK, so the prosecutors running the Ergenekon investigation were exchanged", Gündel said.

Comments on Öz's new appointment

Turkish Politicians commented on the change of duty of Zekeriya Öz as follows:

* Şahin Mengü (Republican People's Party Member of Parliament for Manisa): "Zekeria Öz said 'I am shocked'. On the other hand he said he is pleased with the change, what else can he say? After the law is being disregarded in Turkey, this is a delayed deposal from office. They set out to try people for their thoughts in Turkey. What does it mean to seize an unpublished book? They created a monster and this monster cannot be controlled a[AKP] any more. Even the HSYK as shaped by the Justice and Development Party succumbed to the applications".

* Bengi Yıldız (Peace and Democracy Party Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair): "The AKP tried to weaken the Ergenekon process. Especially the operations carried out throughout the past year were not reasonable. Ergenkon was transformed into an operation to silence opponents just as the KCK trial. Hence, this sort of appointments for Ergenekon prosecutors is the attempt to weaken the process".

* Burhan Kuzu (Head of the Parliamentary Constitution Commission): "I do not know why they felt the need for this change of duties. It can be the effect of certain applications. But the progress of the trial must not be harmed. It must be taken to the end and finished as soon as possible. This is not the first time that duties were changed pending trial".

* Bekir Bozdağ (AKP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair): "Removing is authority without a resignation is wrong. It will take time for the new prosecutor to become familiar with the trial". (EKN/EÖ/VK)