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ANKARA: MHP's Bahceli Expresses Doubt Over Ergenekon Probe

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  • ANKARA: MHP's Bahceli Expresses Doubt Over Ergenekon Probe

    MHP'S BAHCELI EXPRESSES DOUBT OVER ERGENEKON PROBE

    Today's Zaman
    April 15 2009
    Turkey

    Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli has expressed
    doubt over the ongoing investigation into Ergenekon, a criminal gang
    charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

    "Doubts that the law is being used for political interests and that
    justice is being used by the ruling Justice and Development Party [AK
    Party] as a means to intimidate certain groups are becoming stronger
    within society," Bahceli said yesterday while delivering a speech at
    his party's parliamentary group gathering.

    Bahceli's remarks came shortly after the detention of tens of people on
    Monday as part of the Ergenekon probe. Former and current university
    rectors as well as members of the Support for Modern Life Association
    (CYDD) were among the detainees.

    "Everybody has to trust Turkish justice and wait patiently till the end
    of the judicial process. However, the fact that the judicial process
    keeps extending its scope and is constantly on the agenda raises doubts
    about social peace. Our expectation is that they will refrain from
    any act that may damage the dignity of innocent people. ... Otherwise,
    people will lose their faith in justice under the shadow of politics
    and ideology," Bahceli remarked.

    The MHP leader accused the AK Party government of making concessions
    to foreign states for the sake of joining the European Union.

    "Pledges made, documents signed and impositions bowed to by the
    AK Party will lead to a deep pain in the dignity of the Turkish
    nation. ... The government has recently been engaged in treachery
    against its own nation in cooperation with lobbies in Arbil, Brussels,
    Washington and Yerevan. The government is now suffering from the
    consequences of developments it previously misinterpreted and is
    being rapidly dragged to recognize the baseless claims of a genocide
    of Armenians," Bahceli stated.

    Bahceli also slammed the government for having amended the infamous
    Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), under which several
    intellectuals have been tried so far for allegedly insulting
    Turkishness.

    "What lies behind the amendment of Article 301 is the paving of a
    path to garner greater support for the Armenian lie of genocide,"
    he claimed.

    The article in question, which the EU had previously been highly
    critical of Turkey for not amending, was changed last May. A number
    of intellectuals and activists, including Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan
    Pamuk and Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated
    in 2007, landed in court for "insulting Turkishness."
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