Prosecutor demands up to 600 years in jail for former Ergenekon prosecutors and judges

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul prosecutor has demanded between three and 600 years in jail for eight former judges and prosecutors who took part in the Ergenekon investigations and prosecutions, which saw the arrest and trial of hundreds of mostly military personnel, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The 505-page long indictment prepared by Bakırköy Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Faruk Aydıner accused the eight suspects of “misconduct in office,” “neglect of duty,” “false imprisonment,” “forgery of official documents,” “destroying, hiding, or replacing criminal evidences” and “inhibiting, damaging information systems as well as destroying and replacing data” on July 10.

Some 13 people, including the current Istanbul lawmaker of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Dursun Çiçek, were registered as “complainants” in the indictment. A suspect in the Ergenekon trials, Çiçek, a retired colonel, spent 4.5 years in jail in the Ergenekon case.

The prosecutor also decided against pressing charges against suspect Köksal Şengün, who served for three years as the head judge of the 13th Istanbul High Criminal Court, which handled the Ergenekon trial. 

“There is no evidence that the suspect Köksal Şengün is a Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) member or has conducted any action in the terrorist organization’s favor. He presented an opposing view in the Ergenekon case, in contrast with other judges who were determined to be FETÖ members from the information in the file. He was reassigned to Bolu province as a regular judge [not a head judge] after not handing down decisions in favor of FETÖ during the [Ergenekon] case. There is no proof or indications that he committed a crime deliberately.” 

Meanwhile, the other eight suspects are also accused of “establishing and leading an armed terror organization” and “being a member of a terror organization.” As a result, their files regarding these allegations have been separately sent to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office. 

The Ergenekon probe dates back to 2007 when a cache of explosives was found at the home of a former military officer, who was tied by state prosecutors to what they claimed was a much bigger conspiracy.

The case was then filed against 274 people, including military officers, politicians and journalists, over an alleged conspiracy to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. 

Judges and prosecutors who took part in the Ergenekon case and a number of police officers were believed to have acted under command from the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.