BRIGHTENING GLANCE
THE COLLAPSE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK ON TRIAL
PART II
THE ARRAIGNMENT
9 January 2009
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone,
“it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
It is important to note the relentless nature of the “kangaroo” prosecution of the Ergenekon case. (1) And the relentless contamination of both evidence and logic.
Besides Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, there is another important name in this case, İlhan Selçuk, editor of the newspaper, Cumhuriyet. He is a towering figure, a living proxy of the principles of Mustafa Kemal. A lawyer, a journalist for decades, an eminent intellectual force, and a torture victim of the military coup of 1980. He is a staunch proponent of the principles of Atatürk, and an oasis of
intelligence in the barren journalistic waste land of Turkey. Selçuk, 83 years old, was arrested last year in a predawn raid of his apartment. He is accused of being the “idea man” behind Ergenekon.
There is a sentence in the Preamble to the Turkish Constitution that elaborates upon the continuing effect and emotional presence of Atatürk. It is quite clear. “The recognition that no protection shall be accorded to an activity contrary to Turkish national interests, the principle of the indivisibility of the existence of Turkey with its state and territory, Turkish historical and moral values or the nationalism, principles, reforms and modernism of Atatürk and that, as required by the principle of secularism, there shall be no interference whatsoever by sacred religious feelings in state affairs and politics.”
And that is precisely what İlhan Selçuk has been doing throughout life. He is Atatürk personified. He elaborates, explains, reinforces, and defends the enlightened principles and modernism of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Selçuk’s efforts have has been untiring. Despite poor health and heart surgery, through his books—both prose and poetry—his speeches, his newspaper column, Pencere, in the newspaper Cumhuriyet, he is the embodiment of the intellectual force that is Atatürk. And now he, İlhan Selçuk has been indicted as the master mind of the criminal gang, the idea-man of the vast conspiracy called Ergenekon. We pause to gather our breath.
In an astounding political fusion, the judiciary has been conjoined with the government. Now enter Chief Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz. The same title (“Chief Prosecutor”) has been claimed by the prime minister himself, Recep Tayip Erdoğan, thus becoming both head prosecutor and head of the government. Erdoğan has become indeed the grandest of inquisitors, a role that would make even Fyodor Dostoevsky laugh out loud. Incidently, Erdoğan’s self-assumption of the prosecutorial role is a violation the Constitution, Article 9, to wit: “Judicial power shall be exercised by independent courts on behalf of the Turkish Nation.” And also Article 140 which requires that “these duties shall be carried out by professional judges and public prosecutors” which obviously disqualifies the prime minister.(2) These ignorant or deliberate mistakes typify this ill-conceived case.
Now let us read the indictment against that most dangerous of thinkers, İlhan Selçuk, the man accused of being the “brains” behind that vast terror conspiracy, Ergenekon. What horrible things has he done?
One will readily see that the indictment is against all Turkish citizens who follow the path of enlightenment. Rambling, poorly written, disjointed, it is simply an indictment of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by legal morons. It is shown at the bottom of the page in Turkish in footnote (3), and below in English translation. It is vital for all of us to remember George Orwell’s observation that “political language [...] is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind” (4)
INDICTMENT
When the text of the speech,“Enlightenment Revolution and Globalization,” found through the search of the suspect, İlhan Selçuk, given by the suspect, Ilhan Selçuk, to the students of Uludağ University in the Rectorship Building in October 2001, was analyzed:
When the suspect, Ilhan Selçuk is evaluated together with this conference, and other writings and speeches;
The thought structure of the suspect, İlhan Selçuk, claims and on every opportunity relates to the audience and readers
Moreover the suspect, Ilhan Selcuk, claims that the way things are going should be ended.
(Ergenekon indictment: pages 1757-1759)
Court temporarily adjorned. Enough, for now. Ponder and digest the merits of these allegations against the homeland and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk while we eagerly await his arrival.
Cem Ryan, Ph.D.
Istanbul
9 Jan 2009
Besides Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, there is another important name in this case, İlhan Selçuk, editor of the newspaper, Cumhuriyet. He is a towering figure, a living proxy of the principles of Mustafa Kemal. A lawyer, a journalist for decades, an eminent intellectual force, and a torture victim of the military coup of 1980. He is a staunch proponent of the principles of Atatürk, and an oasis of
intelligence in the barren journalistic waste land of Turkey. Selçuk, 83 years old, was arrested last year in a predawn raid of his apartment. He is accused of being the “idea man” behind Ergenekon.
There is a sentence in the Preamble to the Turkish Constitution that elaborates upon the continuing effect and emotional presence of Atatürk. It is quite clear. “The recognition that no protection shall be accorded to an activity contrary to Turkish national interests, the principle of the indivisibility of the existence of Turkey with its state and territory, Turkish historical and moral values or the nationalism, principles, reforms and modernism of Atatürk and that, as required by the principle of secularism, there shall be no interference whatsoever by sacred religious feelings in state affairs and politics.”
And that is precisely what İlhan Selçuk has been doing throughout life. He is Atatürk personified. He elaborates, explains, reinforces, and defends the enlightened principles and modernism of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Selçuk’s efforts have has been untiring. Despite poor health and heart surgery, through his books—both prose and poetry—his speeches, his newspaper column, Pencere, in the newspaper Cumhuriyet, he is the embodiment of the intellectual force that is Atatürk. And now he, İlhan Selçuk has been indicted as the master mind of the criminal gang, the idea-man of the vast conspiracy called Ergenekon. We pause to gather our breath.
In an astounding political fusion, the judiciary has been conjoined with the government. Now enter Chief Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz. The same title (“Chief Prosecutor”) has been claimed by the prime minister himself, Recep Tayip Erdoğan, thus becoming both head prosecutor and head of the government. Erdoğan has become indeed the grandest of inquisitors, a role that would make even Fyodor Dostoevsky laugh out loud. Incidently, Erdoğan’s self-assumption of the prosecutorial role is a violation the Constitution, Article 9, to wit: “Judicial power shall be exercised by independent courts on behalf of the Turkish Nation.” And also Article 140 which requires that “these duties shall be carried out by professional judges and public prosecutors” which obviously disqualifies the prime minister.(2) These ignorant or deliberate mistakes typify this ill-conceived case.
Now let us read the indictment against that most dangerous of thinkers, İlhan Selçuk, the man accused of being the “brains” behind that vast terror conspiracy, Ergenekon. What horrible things has he done?
One will readily see that the indictment is against all Turkish citizens who follow the path of enlightenment. Rambling, poorly written, disjointed, it is simply an indictment of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk by legal morons. It is shown at the bottom of the page in Turkish in footnote (3), and below in English translation. It is vital for all of us to remember George Orwell’s observation that “political language [...] is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give the appearance of solidity to pure wind” (4)
INDICTMENT
When the text of the speech,“Enlightenment Revolution and Globalization,” found through the search of the suspect, İlhan Selçuk, given by the suspect, Ilhan Selçuk, to the students of Uludağ University in the Rectorship Building in October 2001, was analyzed:
When the suspect, Ilhan Selçuk is evaluated together with this conference, and other writings and speeches;
The thought structure of the suspect, İlhan Selçuk, claims and on every opportunity relates to the audience and readers
Moreover the suspect, Ilhan Selcuk, claims that the way things are going should be ended.
(Ergenekon indictment: pages 1757-1759)
Court temporarily adjorned. Enough, for now. Ponder and digest the merits of these allegations against the homeland and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk while we eagerly await his arrival.
Cem Ryan, Ph.D.
Istanbul
9 Jan 2009
- that enlightenment can only happen through the mind and science,
- that religion is the biggest obstacle in front of enlightenment,
- that in order for a woman to be free her hair should be blowing in the wind,
- that evolution theory is a reality which is proven scientifically,
- that enlightenment is not sufficient, socialism should be sovereign,
- that the biggest danger for Turkey is the existing ruling power,
- that with the laws enacted by the Grand National Assembly (parliament) and the government’s execution, the gains from the Republic are one by one being lost,
- that the constitutional changes on the turban issue and religious rule are becoming dominant in the state, step by step,
- that YÖK (High Education Institution) and the Presidency of the Republic have been lost from our hands,
- that the fortresses are lost, that he claims as result of these developments the Turkish Republic will become a Moderate Islamic Republic.
- that the way is the closure of the present ruling party,
- that with the economic crisis, chaos and confusion will prepare the necessary environment for military interference and inside the military power some young officers who don’t obey the military chain of command thinking that they are serving the terror organization, Ergenekon, to take control of the government.
These thoughts of his, both in his newspaper column and also in different environments in dinner meetings arranged openly or secretly, in the places where effective and authoritative people who are able to command Turkey’s destiny are present, he stated his opinions and he uses his directing position in the best way for the organization’s aim.
NOTES:
(1) Kangaroo Court:
An unfair, biased, or hasty judicial proceeding that ends in a harsh punishment; an unauthorized trial conducted by individuals who have taken the law into
their own hands, such as those put on by vigilantes or prison inmates; a proceeding and its leaders who are considered sham, corrupt, and without regard
for the law.The concept of kangaroo court dates to the early nineteenth century. Scholars trace its origin to the historical practice of itinerant judges on the U.S. frontier. These roving judges were paid on the basis of how many trials they conducted, and in some instances their salary depended on the
fines from the defendants they convicted. The term kangaroo court comes from the image of these judges hopping from place to place, guided less by concern for justice than by the desire to wrap up as many trials as the day allowed.The term is still in common usage by defendants, writers, and scholars critical of a court or a trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has also used it. In in re gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S. Ct. 1428, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527 (1967), a case that established that children in juvenile court have the right to due process, the Court reasoned, "Under our Constitution, the condition of being a boy does not justify a kangaroo court." Associate Justice William O. Douglas once wrote, "Where police take matters in their own hands, seize victims, beat and pound them until they confess, there cannot be the slightest doubt that the police have deprived the victim of a right under the Constitution. It is the right of the accused to be tried by a legally constituted court, not by a kangaroo court" (Williams v. United States, 341 U.S. 97, 71 S. Ct. 576, 95 L. Ed. 774 [1951]).
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Kangaroo+Court
(2) Article 140 (1) requires that duties as judges and public prosecutors “be carried out by professional judges and public prosecutors” (MADDE 140. – Hâkimler ve savcılar adlî ve idarî yargı hâkim ve savcıları olarak görev yaparlar. Bu görevler meslekten hâkim ve savcılar eliyle yürütülür.) It is noteworthy that the head of the Turkish Constitutional Court, Haşim Kılıç, has no legal training. A graduate of Eşkişehir Academy of Economicas and Commerce, his
background is economics and auditing.
(3) İddianame ne diyor?.. Suçlamanın içeriği nedir?..
Savcı Zekeriya Öz’ün delil olarak kullandığı konferans metnine ilişkin suçlamaları:
“Aramalar sırasında şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’tan ele geçirilen ve Uludağ Üniversitesi öğrencilerine yönelik olarak şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK tarafından 2001 yılı Ekim ayında Rektörlük binasında verilmiş olduğu anlaşılan ‘Aydınlanma Devrimi ve Küreselleşme’ isimli konferansa ilişkin yazının incelenmesinde
özetle:
Şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’un bu konferansı ile diğer yazı ve konuşmaları birlikte değerlendirildiğinde;
Şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’un düşünce yapısı olarak ‘Aydınlanmanın ancak akıl ve bilimle’ olabileceğini, dinin aydınlanmanın önünde büyük bir engel teşkil ettiğini, kadının özgür olabilmesi için saçının rüzgârda savrulması gerektiğini, evrim teorisinin bilimsel olarak kanıtlanmış kesin bir gerçek olduğunu, aydınlanmanın yeterli olmadığını, sosyalizmin egemen olması gerektiğini, Türkiye için en büyük tehlikenin mevcut iktidarların olduğunu, TBMM’nin çıkardığı yasalar ve hükümetin icraatlarıyla Cumhuriyetin kurumlarının ve kazanımlarının tek tek elden gittiğini, türban konusunda yapılan anayasa değişikliği ile adım adım dini kuralların devlet yapısına hâkim olmaya başladığını, YÖK’ün ve Cumhurbaşkanlığı’nın elden gittiğini, kalelerin kaybedildiğini, bu gidişin eticesinde Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Ilımlı İslam Cumhuriyeti olacağını iddia etmekte ve her fırsatta bu düşüncelerini kendisini dinleyen ve okuyan kişilere
aktarmaktadır.
Ayrıca, şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK, her fırsatta bu gidişata son verilmesi gerektiği ve bunun yolunun da mevcut iktidar partisinin kapatılması, ekonomik krizin çıkması sonrasında kaos ve kargaşa ortamında askeri müdahale için gerekli zeminin oluşarak silahlı kuvvetler içinde hiyerarşik yapıya uymayan kendince ERGENEKON terör örgütünün amacına hizmet ettiğini düşündüğü bir kısım genç subayların askeri bir müdahale ile yönetimi ele geçirmesi ile mümkün olabileceğini ileri sürmektedir.
Bu düşüncelerini hem gazete köşesinde, hem de değişik ortamlarda düzenlenen açık veya gizli yemekli toplantılarda Türkiye’nin kaderine hükmedebilecek, etkin ve yetkin kişilerin bulunduğu yerlerde dile getirmekte ve yönlendirici konumunu en iyi şekilde örgütün amacı doğrultusunda kullanmaktadır.”
(İddianame s.1757 - 1759’dan aynen alınmıştır)
http://garildi.cumhuriyet.com.tr/sayfa.cgi?w+30+/cumhuriyet/cumhuriyet2008/0812/22/t/c06.html
Ergenekon iddianamesi: http://haber.mynet.com/detail_news/?&id=O1217056589950&date=26Temmuz2008
Also Cumhuriyet newspaper, 22 Aralik 2008, p. 6. http://garildi.cumhuriyet.com.tr/sayfa.cgi?w+30+/cumhuriyet/cumhuriyet2008/0812/22/t/c06.html
(4) Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language,” A Collection of Essays. Harcourt Brace, New York, 1981. ISBN 0-15-618600-4.
E-text: http://www.george-orwell.org/Politics_and_the_English_Language/0.html
(1) Kangaroo Court:
An unfair, biased, or hasty judicial proceeding that ends in a harsh punishment; an unauthorized trial conducted by individuals who have taken the law into
their own hands, such as those put on by vigilantes or prison inmates; a proceeding and its leaders who are considered sham, corrupt, and without regard
for the law.The concept of kangaroo court dates to the early nineteenth century. Scholars trace its origin to the historical practice of itinerant judges on the U.S. frontier. These roving judges were paid on the basis of how many trials they conducted, and in some instances their salary depended on the
fines from the defendants they convicted. The term kangaroo court comes from the image of these judges hopping from place to place, guided less by concern for justice than by the desire to wrap up as many trials as the day allowed.The term is still in common usage by defendants, writers, and scholars critical of a court or a trial. The U.S. Supreme Court has also used it. In in re gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S. Ct. 1428, 18 L. Ed. 2d 527 (1967), a case that established that children in juvenile court have the right to due process, the Court reasoned, "Under our Constitution, the condition of being a boy does not justify a kangaroo court." Associate Justice William O. Douglas once wrote, "Where police take matters in their own hands, seize victims, beat and pound them until they confess, there cannot be the slightest doubt that the police have deprived the victim of a right under the Constitution. It is the right of the accused to be tried by a legally constituted court, not by a kangaroo court" (Williams v. United States, 341 U.S. 97, 71 S. Ct. 576, 95 L. Ed. 774 [1951]).
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Kangaroo+Court
(2) Article 140 (1) requires that duties as judges and public prosecutors “be carried out by professional judges and public prosecutors” (MADDE 140. – Hâkimler ve savcılar adlî ve idarî yargı hâkim ve savcıları olarak görev yaparlar. Bu görevler meslekten hâkim ve savcılar eliyle yürütülür.) It is noteworthy that the head of the Turkish Constitutional Court, Haşim Kılıç, has no legal training. A graduate of Eşkişehir Academy of Economicas and Commerce, his
background is economics and auditing.
(3) İddianame ne diyor?.. Suçlamanın içeriği nedir?..
Savcı Zekeriya Öz’ün delil olarak kullandığı konferans metnine ilişkin suçlamaları:
“Aramalar sırasında şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’tan ele geçirilen ve Uludağ Üniversitesi öğrencilerine yönelik olarak şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK tarafından 2001 yılı Ekim ayında Rektörlük binasında verilmiş olduğu anlaşılan ‘Aydınlanma Devrimi ve Küreselleşme’ isimli konferansa ilişkin yazının incelenmesinde
özetle:
Şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’un bu konferansı ile diğer yazı ve konuşmaları birlikte değerlendirildiğinde;
Şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK’un düşünce yapısı olarak ‘Aydınlanmanın ancak akıl ve bilimle’ olabileceğini, dinin aydınlanmanın önünde büyük bir engel teşkil ettiğini, kadının özgür olabilmesi için saçının rüzgârda savrulması gerektiğini, evrim teorisinin bilimsel olarak kanıtlanmış kesin bir gerçek olduğunu, aydınlanmanın yeterli olmadığını, sosyalizmin egemen olması gerektiğini, Türkiye için en büyük tehlikenin mevcut iktidarların olduğunu, TBMM’nin çıkardığı yasalar ve hükümetin icraatlarıyla Cumhuriyetin kurumlarının ve kazanımlarının tek tek elden gittiğini, türban konusunda yapılan anayasa değişikliği ile adım adım dini kuralların devlet yapısına hâkim olmaya başladığını, YÖK’ün ve Cumhurbaşkanlığı’nın elden gittiğini, kalelerin kaybedildiğini, bu gidişin eticesinde Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Ilımlı İslam Cumhuriyeti olacağını iddia etmekte ve her fırsatta bu düşüncelerini kendisini dinleyen ve okuyan kişilere
aktarmaktadır.
Ayrıca, şüpheli İlhan SELÇUK, her fırsatta bu gidişata son verilmesi gerektiği ve bunun yolunun da mevcut iktidar partisinin kapatılması, ekonomik krizin çıkması sonrasında kaos ve kargaşa ortamında askeri müdahale için gerekli zeminin oluşarak silahlı kuvvetler içinde hiyerarşik yapıya uymayan kendince ERGENEKON terör örgütünün amacına hizmet ettiğini düşündüğü bir kısım genç subayların askeri bir müdahale ile yönetimi ele geçirmesi ile mümkün olabileceğini ileri sürmektedir.
Bu düşüncelerini hem gazete köşesinde, hem de değişik ortamlarda düzenlenen açık veya gizli yemekli toplantılarda Türkiye’nin kaderine hükmedebilecek, etkin ve yetkin kişilerin bulunduğu yerlerde dile getirmekte ve yönlendirici konumunu en iyi şekilde örgütün amacı doğrultusunda kullanmaktadır.”
(İddianame s.1757 - 1759’dan aynen alınmıştır)
http://garildi.cumhuriyet.com.tr/sayfa.cgi?w+30+/cumhuriyet/cumhuriyet2008/0812/22/t/c06.html
Ergenekon iddianamesi: http://haber.mynet.com/detail_news/?&id=O1217056589950&date=26Temmuz2008
Also Cumhuriyet newspaper, 22 Aralik 2008, p. 6. http://garildi.cumhuriyet.com.tr/sayfa.cgi?w+30+/cumhuriyet/cumhuriyet2008/0812/22/t/c06.html
(4) Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language,” A Collection of Essays. Harcourt Brace, New York, 1981. ISBN 0-15-618600-4.
E-text: http://www.george-orwell.org/Politics_and_the_English_Language/0.html