The end of the great lie machine

With the court's acceptance of the indictment regarding the Ergenekon terrorist organization, the trial has officially begun. From this moment on, the allegations that have been associated with Ergenekon for over a year are subject to judicial proceedings. Information regarding the origins of the doubts raised about whether the main subject of the case is a coup, terrorism, or inciting an uprising against the government also seems poised to serve as an additional and rich source of surprises throughout the process.

The revealed content of the indictment is such that anyone can find whatever they are looking for, whether it be a coup, terrorism, murder, extortion, obstruction of government activities, incitement of hatred and hostility among the public, or bribery. We hope that this process will also shed light on the panic behind the mind-boggling words Deniz Baykal addressed to the Prime Minister during Tuesday’s parliamentary group speech—words which, in truth, do not concern the Prime Minister at all—and what those words were targeting.

"You said it was a coup? Then launch the coup lawsuit. Bring the coup indictment. What happened to the coup indictment? What happened to the diaries? What happened to the other Operation Glove [Eldiven]? What happened to Sarıkız and Ayışığı [Blonde Girl and Moonlight]? Bring them... Bring them... Put them forward. Is there anything? No, there isn’t... What happened then? It’s not a coup matter."

Are these words that someone whose profession prior to politics was law should be speaking? Does Baykal think that the Prime Minister himself filed the lawsuit?

Does the fact that coup allegations have not (yet) been included in the case require downplaying the charges that are the subject of this lawsuit?

Furthermore, while there is an indictment submitted to the court whose acceptance will be clarified in a few days—and whose contents, once revealed, point to a truly colossal crime machine—were these the words to be said? The disclosed content of the indictment demonstrates that none of the charges, each of which makes one ashamed of humanity more than the last, is groundless.

Kürşat Bumin recently, in two consecutive articles, very rightly objected to the question of whether the case "should be opened on charges of a coup or terrorism," drawing attention to the traditional, unwarranted supremacy of "crimes against the state or government" within the hierarchy of crimes among alleged charges. Yet, among the crimes attributed to the Ergenekon organization, there is also murder. And not just one or two, but a whole host of murders...

Regardless of the objective, attempting to take a human life within the hierarchy of crimes is naturally far more grave than a crime of opposition or rebellion committed against the state.

The indictment also establishes with strong evidence that the murder at the Council of State was instigated by members of Ergenekon. When even this single incident is proven by court decision to have been carried out by members of Ergenekon, from which angle should this major event be addressed? Terrorism, coup, or murder? Which of these do you think is less grave than the others? All of these elements, each more grave than the next, are contained within this murder.

Yet even more grave is that, on top of the felony of this murder, it was committed on the basis of an intention to deceive the entire society by taking them for fools.

Those who committed the Council of State murder divided society into ideological camps according to their own view, demonstrated that they had no respect even for their own ideology by brutally murdering someone they considered to be from their own camp, and subsequently blamed this murder on a specific segment of society, inciting different elements of society against one another to generate an atmosphere of conflict or tension. They tried to pave the way for an opportunity to gain power from the resulting environment of chaos…

This crime, the sheer sequence of which is dizzying even to follow, was moreover repeated multiple times. Succeeding every time in mobilizing the most authorized and respected figures of the state and society in the direction they desired through these crimes, this scheme turned the entire existence of society—along with its ideals, loves, and hatreds—into an incurable addict of a lie.

The Ergenekon trial shows that this massive lie machine can no longer function. Expectations that it will stop at some point no longer hold any validity. Even the stage it has reached is, in itself, very far advanced. Comparing it to Susurluk or Şemdinli makes no sense whatsoever.

In a case that has reached this point, the public curiosity and interest that have been aroused will naturally bring about the rest.