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ANKARA: The Ergenekon Operation

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  • ANKARA: The Ergenekon Operation

    THE ERGENEKON OPERATION

    Hurriyet
    Tuesday, July 01, 2008 14:59
    Turkey

    The Ergenekon operation started with the investigation of 27
    hand grenades found in a house in Istanbul last year. Then the
    investigation widened and transformed into an operation to crackdown
    on the "Ergenekon Terror Organization", which allegedly aimed at
    paving the way for a military coup against the government.

    More than 100 people were taken into custody in the operation,
    while almost 50 of them were arrested, including journalists and
    retired commanders.

    The Ergenekon organization was claimed to be the mastermind behind
    the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, and is
    planning to kill Nobel prize-winner Orhan Pamuk.

    However the Ergenekon operation intensified after the closure case
    was filed against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The
    operation was not limited to retired army members or ultra-nationalist
    but widened to prominent opponents of the ruling AKP.

    Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has previously said the closure case
    was a response to the government's determination in the Ergenekon
    operation. However some observers say the wider Ergenekon operation
    could be seen as an instrument to suppress the opponents of the
    government.

    People who were taken into custody or arrested under the operation
    include:

    -- Dogu Perincek - Labor Party leader

    -- Ergun Poyraz - A writer of couple of books about Erdogan and
    President Abdullah Gul

    -- Kemal Alemdaroglu - Former rector of Istanbul University

    -- Ilhan Selcuk - Owner of leftist, anti-AKP Cumhuriyet daily
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