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ZIRVE OFFICER SAYS HE GATHERED INTEL ON MISSIONARIES UNDER ORDERS
Today's Zaman
Sept 7 2012
Turkey
A senior sergeant who is being accused of working for an organization
that masterminded the 2007 massacre of three Christian missionaries
employed at the Zirve Publishing House has said in court that he
was acting under orders from his superiors in the military when he
engaged in intelligence-gathering efforts on missionaries.
The 44th hearing in the trial was heard at the Malatya 3rd High
Criminal Court on Friday. Sgt. Adem Gedik, who was released pending
trial after his initial detention, said he was carrying out orders
when he was gathering intelligence in the city of Malatya, in response
to a question from the presiding judge, Hayrettin K覺sa.
K覺sa pointed out that most of Gedik's orders were to fulfill his
duties in the city center, which falls under the jurisdiction of the
police force, and not the gendarmerie command. "As a senior sergeant I
don't have the luxury of saying, 'Commander, that's the city center,'"
the man said, noting he was just obeying orders.
In his testimony, Gedik said he took up his post in Malatya in
August 2004 and stayed on duty in the city until June 2008. He
denied any involvement with the National Strategies and Operations
Department of Turkey (TUSHAD), and the Black and White Forces --
illegal organizations mentioned in the indictment -- saying he had
never heard of such groups before. "How can I possibly be a member
of an organization whose name I first heard here?" he asked.
Gedik also had to answer questions on his participation in a course
titled "Extreme Right Activities" (ASAF) held in Ankara ahead of the
Malatya murders, together with an NCO named Murat G繹kturk. Gedik said
he was in Ankara while he was on leave, but denied that he had attended
the ASAF courses before 2008. "I participated at the ASAF course
in 2008. It is not a very comprehensive, long-running or specific
course. It dwells on the objectives and methods of missionaries,"
he said.
In response to a court question on whether he was aware that 60
percent of all the payments made to gendarmerie intelligence officers,
as shown by the military's receipts, were for missionary activities
while intelligence activity on terror groups comprised an insignificant
amount based on the payments made. "This is the first time I'm hearing
this information," Gedik said.
The court also asked a question about Ruhi Abat, a university
instructor who is currently under arrest as a suspect. Abat is accused
of playing an important role in the anti-missionary campaign that led
to the murders. Gedik said he met Abat when he gave a presentation
on missionary activities during a seminar organized by ASAF.
In response to a question from the court on why Gedik followed
the three suspects even though distributing Bibles is not a crime,
Gedik again responded, "I was obeying orders conveyed to me within
the command chain hierarchy."
In addition to Gedik, two other officers, one former and one currently
on active duty, testified in the trial on Friday about the deaths
of the three Bible publishers. Former Sgt. Aykut Saka and NCO Adil
Akcay also presented their defense statements on Friday.
Sgt. Saka was questioned about his knowledge of Mehmet Ulger, a
colonel who is allegedly linked to the murders. Saka said that the
prosecution's claim that Ulger had ordered him to testify to military
prosecutors about the murders in order create confusion and spread
disinformation about the murders was true. However, he said he was
acting on orders, and did not have any connection to or knowledge of
an organized network.
NCO Akcay in his testimony said: "I didn't do anything on my own. I
was fulfilling my responsibilities to the state." He also said,
"There obviously is an organized network, but it is not one that I am
part of." Akcay is accused of membership in the terrorist organization
that masterminded the murders.
The indictment states that the Zirve murders were carried out as
part of the Cage Action Plan, a subversive plot allegedly devised
by military officers that sought to undermine the government through
assassinations and other acts of terror against non-Muslims in Turkey.
The Cage plan was allegedly drawn up on the orders of Ergenekon, a
clandestine group that plotted to overthrow the Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) government. Cage plan documents specifically call
the killings of Armenia-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, Catholic priest
Father Andrea Santoro and the Zirve murders an "operation."
The prosecutors are seeking two life sentences without the possibility
of parole for retired Gen. Hur癬_it Tolon, a former 1st Army Corps
commander, who is currently under arrest as part of the case into
Ergenekon. There are 19 suspects in the second indictment of the case.
The indictment accuses the suspects of inciting murder, establishing
a terrorist organization and membership in it and working to overthrow
the government.
On April 18, 2007, Necati Ayd覺n (35) and Ugur Yuksel, along with
German national Tilmann Ekkehart Geske (46) were tied to their chairs,
stabbed and tortured at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya before
their throats were slit. The publishing house printed Bibles and
Christian literature. Suspects Abuzer Y覺ld覺r覺m, Cuma Ozdemir, Salih
Gurler and Hamit Ceker were apprehended at the scene and immediately
taken into custody, while another suspect, Emre Gunayd覺n, jumped
from a third-storey window in an attempt to escape from the police
and was taken into custody after being treated for injuries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Today's Zaman
Sept 7 2012
Turkey
A senior sergeant who is being accused of working for an organization
that masterminded the 2007 massacre of three Christian missionaries
employed at the Zirve Publishing House has said in court that he
was acting under orders from his superiors in the military when he
engaged in intelligence-gathering efforts on missionaries.
The 44th hearing in the trial was heard at the Malatya 3rd High
Criminal Court on Friday. Sgt. Adem Gedik, who was released pending
trial after his initial detention, said he was carrying out orders
when he was gathering intelligence in the city of Malatya, in response
to a question from the presiding judge, Hayrettin K覺sa.
K覺sa pointed out that most of Gedik's orders were to fulfill his
duties in the city center, which falls under the jurisdiction of the
police force, and not the gendarmerie command. "As a senior sergeant I
don't have the luxury of saying, 'Commander, that's the city center,'"
the man said, noting he was just obeying orders.
In his testimony, Gedik said he took up his post in Malatya in
August 2004 and stayed on duty in the city until June 2008. He
denied any involvement with the National Strategies and Operations
Department of Turkey (TUSHAD), and the Black and White Forces --
illegal organizations mentioned in the indictment -- saying he had
never heard of such groups before. "How can I possibly be a member
of an organization whose name I first heard here?" he asked.
Gedik also had to answer questions on his participation in a course
titled "Extreme Right Activities" (ASAF) held in Ankara ahead of the
Malatya murders, together with an NCO named Murat G繹kturk. Gedik said
he was in Ankara while he was on leave, but denied that he had attended
the ASAF courses before 2008. "I participated at the ASAF course
in 2008. It is not a very comprehensive, long-running or specific
course. It dwells on the objectives and methods of missionaries,"
he said.
In response to a court question on whether he was aware that 60
percent of all the payments made to gendarmerie intelligence officers,
as shown by the military's receipts, were for missionary activities
while intelligence activity on terror groups comprised an insignificant
amount based on the payments made. "This is the first time I'm hearing
this information," Gedik said.
The court also asked a question about Ruhi Abat, a university
instructor who is currently under arrest as a suspect. Abat is accused
of playing an important role in the anti-missionary campaign that led
to the murders. Gedik said he met Abat when he gave a presentation
on missionary activities during a seminar organized by ASAF.
In response to a question from the court on why Gedik followed
the three suspects even though distributing Bibles is not a crime,
Gedik again responded, "I was obeying orders conveyed to me within
the command chain hierarchy."
In addition to Gedik, two other officers, one former and one currently
on active duty, testified in the trial on Friday about the deaths
of the three Bible publishers. Former Sgt. Aykut Saka and NCO Adil
Akcay also presented their defense statements on Friday.
Sgt. Saka was questioned about his knowledge of Mehmet Ulger, a
colonel who is allegedly linked to the murders. Saka said that the
prosecution's claim that Ulger had ordered him to testify to military
prosecutors about the murders in order create confusion and spread
disinformation about the murders was true. However, he said he was
acting on orders, and did not have any connection to or knowledge of
an organized network.
NCO Akcay in his testimony said: "I didn't do anything on my own. I
was fulfilling my responsibilities to the state." He also said,
"There obviously is an organized network, but it is not one that I am
part of." Akcay is accused of membership in the terrorist organization
that masterminded the murders.
The indictment states that the Zirve murders were carried out as
part of the Cage Action Plan, a subversive plot allegedly devised
by military officers that sought to undermine the government through
assassinations and other acts of terror against non-Muslims in Turkey.
The Cage plan was allegedly drawn up on the orders of Ergenekon, a
clandestine group that plotted to overthrow the Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) government. Cage plan documents specifically call
the killings of Armenia-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, Catholic priest
Father Andrea Santoro and the Zirve murders an "operation."
The prosecutors are seeking two life sentences without the possibility
of parole for retired Gen. Hur癬_it Tolon, a former 1st Army Corps
commander, who is currently under arrest as part of the case into
Ergenekon. There are 19 suspects in the second indictment of the case.
The indictment accuses the suspects of inciting murder, establishing
a terrorist organization and membership in it and working to overthrow
the government.
On April 18, 2007, Necati Ayd覺n (35) and Ugur Yuksel, along with
German national Tilmann Ekkehart Geske (46) were tied to their chairs,
stabbed and tortured at the Zirve Publishing House in Malatya before
their throats were slit. The publishing house printed Bibles and
Christian literature. Suspects Abuzer Y覺ld覺r覺m, Cuma Ozdemir, Salih
Gurler and Hamit Ceker were apprehended at the scene and immediately
taken into custody, while another suspect, Emre Gunayd覺n, jumped
from a third-storey window in an attempt to escape from the police
and was taken into custody after being treated for injuries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress