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Wired News
Feb 9 2008
The Erkenekon Gang: It's Turkey's Susurluk Scandal All Over Again
By Bruce Sterling February 08, 2008 | 1:55:58 AM
"The investigation has found that the gang is linked to a clandestine
phenomenon referred to as the "deep state" in Turkey that stages
attacks using "behind-the-scene" paramilitary organizations such as
Ergenekon to foment public opinion according its own political
agenda. Ergenekon is the title of a legend that describes how Turks
came into existence.
"This particular gang is suspected of involvement in a number of
political attacks on individuals and institutions, including the
murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. At least eight of
the suspects are retired from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
"The suspects, who include retired military generals, journalists and
underground bosses, have not yet been charged and are still under
interrogation, but the police found a list of people the gang had
planned to assassinate, including pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
Party (DTP) deputies Ahmet Türk, Leyla Zana and Sebahat Tuncel;
Diyarbakýr Mayor Osman Baydemir; Nobel Prize-winning author Pamuk;
and journalist Fehmi Koru, who is also a regular columnist for
Today's Zaman.
Pamuk was their next target
Charges of denigrating Turkishness had once been brought against
Pamuk over remarks he made to a Swiss newspaper about the number of
Kurds and Armenians killed in Turkey. Pamuk was apparently the next
planned assassination on the gang's list. According to daily Posta,
Ret. Maj. Gen. Veli Küçük, who was detained in Tuesday's raid, had
contacted through Muhammed Yüce -- a former army sergeant -- Ret.
Col. Fikri Karadað, requesting he find them a hit man to do the job.
Karadað is the leader of the ultranationalist Association for the
Union of Patriotic Forces (VKGB), (((they probably passed the
"PATRIOT Act" -- oh wait, wrong NATO country))) whose leaders are
already under detainment facing several charges for crimes from theft
and felony to blackmail and extortion.
Also, at least two VKGB members were detained in relation to the
Ergenekon investigation in Diyarbakýr on Wednesday. The hit man they
found was identified by the police as Selim A. The Ergenekon crowd
found YTL 2 million -- the pay promised to Selim A. -- and a Glock
revolver for the assassination. Selim A. was captured after the
police found out about the plan by monitoring phone conversations. In
addition to Selim A. and Küçük, Karadað and Yüce were also detained
in Tuesday's operation.
An unresolved murder resolved?
Police have found evidence linking the Ergenekon gang to the
assassination of Necip Hablemitoðlu, shot to death in 2002 after
concluding that residents of the Bergama region campaigning against
gold prospecting in their area were manipulated by Germans protecting
their economic interests, in a comprehensive study he conducted on
the subject. An Ýzmir businessman questioned over the Hablemitoðlu
murder as a key suspect was later killed by a hand-grenade thrown
into his Alsancak office, which was allegedly the work of the gang to
keep him silent.
The businessman reportedly threatened the gang, saying he would
confess if they failed to pay him the money they promised for the
academic's assassination... (((etc etc etc wow etc etc I don't
believe it etc etc I am shocked, shocked))).
http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/0 2/the-erkenekon-g.html
Feb 9 2008
The Erkenekon Gang: It's Turkey's Susurluk Scandal All Over Again
By Bruce Sterling February 08, 2008 | 1:55:58 AM
"The investigation has found that the gang is linked to a clandestine
phenomenon referred to as the "deep state" in Turkey that stages
attacks using "behind-the-scene" paramilitary organizations such as
Ergenekon to foment public opinion according its own political
agenda. Ergenekon is the title of a legend that describes how Turks
came into existence.
"This particular gang is suspected of involvement in a number of
political attacks on individuals and institutions, including the
murder of ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. At least eight of
the suspects are retired from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
"The suspects, who include retired military generals, journalists and
underground bosses, have not yet been charged and are still under
interrogation, but the police found a list of people the gang had
planned to assassinate, including pro-Kurdish Democratic Society
Party (DTP) deputies Ahmet Türk, Leyla Zana and Sebahat Tuncel;
Diyarbakýr Mayor Osman Baydemir; Nobel Prize-winning author Pamuk;
and journalist Fehmi Koru, who is also a regular columnist for
Today's Zaman.
Pamuk was their next target
Charges of denigrating Turkishness had once been brought against
Pamuk over remarks he made to a Swiss newspaper about the number of
Kurds and Armenians killed in Turkey. Pamuk was apparently the next
planned assassination on the gang's list. According to daily Posta,
Ret. Maj. Gen. Veli Küçük, who was detained in Tuesday's raid, had
contacted through Muhammed Yüce -- a former army sergeant -- Ret.
Col. Fikri Karadað, requesting he find them a hit man to do the job.
Karadað is the leader of the ultranationalist Association for the
Union of Patriotic Forces (VKGB), (((they probably passed the
"PATRIOT Act" -- oh wait, wrong NATO country))) whose leaders are
already under detainment facing several charges for crimes from theft
and felony to blackmail and extortion.
Also, at least two VKGB members were detained in relation to the
Ergenekon investigation in Diyarbakýr on Wednesday. The hit man they
found was identified by the police as Selim A. The Ergenekon crowd
found YTL 2 million -- the pay promised to Selim A. -- and a Glock
revolver for the assassination. Selim A. was captured after the
police found out about the plan by monitoring phone conversations. In
addition to Selim A. and Küçük, Karadað and Yüce were also detained
in Tuesday's operation.
An unresolved murder resolved?
Police have found evidence linking the Ergenekon gang to the
assassination of Necip Hablemitoðlu, shot to death in 2002 after
concluding that residents of the Bergama region campaigning against
gold prospecting in their area were manipulated by Germans protecting
their economic interests, in a comprehensive study he conducted on
the subject. An Ýzmir businessman questioned over the Hablemitoðlu
murder as a key suspect was later killed by a hand-grenade thrown
into his Alsancak office, which was allegedly the work of the gang to
keep him silent.
The businessman reportedly threatened the gang, saying he would
confess if they failed to pay him the money they promised for the
academic's assassination... (((etc etc etc wow etc etc I don't
believe it etc etc I am shocked, shocked))).
http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/0 2/the-erkenekon-g.html