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COURT ORDERS ARREST OF GENERAL STAFF INTEL CHIEF
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=court-orders-arrest-of-general-staff-intel-chief-2011-09-05
Sept 5 2011
Turkey
Lt Gen İsmail Hakkı Pekin (R) pleads not guilty after being arrested
by a court.
The head of the General Staff's intelligence unit has become the latest
high-ranking officer arrested in an ongoing Internet propaganda case,
though he said he was innocent of all charges.
Lt. Gen. İsmail Hakkı Pekin pleaded not guilty after being arrested
by the court. "I have no stains on the uniform I have worn with pride
for 40 years," he said. "I appear before you for a crime I have not
committed. I am in agony over this humiliating situation."
The lawyer for another general previously arrested in the same
"Internet Memorandum" case meanwhile requested that former Chief
of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ be subpoenaed as part of the
investigation.
Rejecting the allegations against him, Pekin said he was asked to
put his initials on the document for coordination purposes and did
so after seeing the signatures of other officers there.
The ongoing case refers to an alleged document from the General Staff
that ordered the establishment of 42 Internet sites to distribute
propaganda against the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP,
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, as well as Greeks
and Armenians.
Pekin said he was not responsible for the content of the websites
prepared based on the memorandum. "The Internet Memorandum is a
memorandum that approves the launching of four new sites. I have no
connection with those Internet sites, which have been active for 10
years," he said.
The general insisted that he put his initials on the Internet
memorandum with the intention of fighting organizations and websites
that publish posts against the Turkish Republic. Pekin also said the
sources of 85 percent of the posts on the websites were clear and
there was no violation of relevant laws.
In a parallel development, the lawyer for Gen. Mehmet Eroz, who is
also among the suspects in the Internet Memorandum case, requested
that the former top general appear in court and be heard as a witness
in the case. In a written statement, lawyer İlkay Sezer said they
had requested that Gen. Başbuğ be subpoenaed and appear at the next
hearing Sept. 12. If this request is accepted by the court, the
statement said, the incident that is on trial and the allegations
would be better understood.
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=court-orders-arrest-of-general-staff-intel-chief-2011-09-05
Sept 5 2011
Turkey
Lt Gen İsmail Hakkı Pekin (R) pleads not guilty after being arrested
by a court.
The head of the General Staff's intelligence unit has become the latest
high-ranking officer arrested in an ongoing Internet propaganda case,
though he said he was innocent of all charges.
Lt. Gen. İsmail Hakkı Pekin pleaded not guilty after being arrested
by the court. "I have no stains on the uniform I have worn with pride
for 40 years," he said. "I appear before you for a crime I have not
committed. I am in agony over this humiliating situation."
The lawyer for another general previously arrested in the same
"Internet Memorandum" case meanwhile requested that former Chief
of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ be subpoenaed as part of the
investigation.
Rejecting the allegations against him, Pekin said he was asked to
put his initials on the document for coordination purposes and did
so after seeing the signatures of other officers there.
The ongoing case refers to an alleged document from the General Staff
that ordered the establishment of 42 Internet sites to distribute
propaganda against the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP,
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, as well as Greeks
and Armenians.
Pekin said he was not responsible for the content of the websites
prepared based on the memorandum. "The Internet Memorandum is a
memorandum that approves the launching of four new sites. I have no
connection with those Internet sites, which have been active for 10
years," he said.
The general insisted that he put his initials on the Internet
memorandum with the intention of fighting organizations and websites
that publish posts against the Turkish Republic. Pekin also said the
sources of 85 percent of the posts on the websites were clear and
there was no violation of relevant laws.
In a parallel development, the lawyer for Gen. Mehmet Eroz, who is
also among the suspects in the Internet Memorandum case, requested
that the former top general appear in court and be heard as a witness
in the case. In a written statement, lawyer İlkay Sezer said they
had requested that Gen. Başbuğ be subpoenaed and appear at the next
hearing Sept. 12. If this request is accepted by the court, the
statement said, the incident that is on trial and the allegations
would be better understood.