Is the goal contemporary civilization or Ergenekon?
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk picked the level of contemporary civilization as the ultimate goal for the future generations of the Republic of Turkey.
The meaning of this is obvious: Turkey would raise its standards in all fields, including the economy, politics, science, art, law and democracy, to the level of the most advanced countries in the world. The practical and current yardstick of contemporary civilization is the set of standards in advanced countries as well as the political, legal and economic standards where the Council of Europe and the European Union are based.
But sadly, the vast majority of the Kemalist, leftist, neo-nationalist, secular and progressive circles which view Atatürk as the greatest guide in every matter and declare that they are subscribed to contemporary standards are gradually moving away from this goal every single day. If they could, they would detach Turkey from the goal of contemporary civilization and turn it into a country like China, North Korea or Baathist Syria. Those who think that this is an exaggeration should take a look at the vision of Turkey described in coup plans including Glove, Ayışığı, Yakamoz and Balyoz.
Everything is clear in the picture of the “progressive” circles which have flocked to Silivri. The group that caused turmoil and violence in Silivri included 40 deputies from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) which was founded by Atatürk. The Atatürkist Thought Association (ADD), the All Youth Union and the Workers’ Party (İP) were there as well. Modern and progressive artists Tarık Akan, Rutkay Aziz, Bülent Kayabaş, Bedri Baykam and Ataol Behramoğlu were also present. CHP deputy chair Emine Ülker Tarhan, who previously served in Judges and Prosecutors Association (YARSAV) and who contributed to the “367 scandal” during the presidential election process in 2007, threatened the ruling party, the judges and the prosecutors, stressing that “murderers would someday become victims.” Muharrem İnce says that they would try all these people in court. ADD Chair Tansel Çölaşan told the people in front of the courthouse that there is no justice in court and that a play was being staged. Those who managed to enter the courtroom in an attempt to provide support to the coup suspects protested in favor of the defendants and chanted slogans such as “Turkey is proud of you,” “We are not going anywhere without you” and “We are soldiers of Mustafa Kemal.” It would not be surprising for a foreigner who witnessed this warm feelings and interest toward the coup suspects in Silivri to think that Ergenekon is an organization founded by Atatürk considering that the protestors associate themselves with him.
Former Chief of General Staff İlker Başbuğ, who is being tried in connection with alleged membership in Ergenekon and his involvement in issuing the infamous Internet memorandum, in which the General Staff sponsored websites that were launched for slander campaigns against the government, said, in reference to these protests, that the press should note this trial and further left the courtroom in defiance of the court.
According to the vast majority of these groups who attach great importance to Atatürk, the numerous indictments on the Ergenekon investigation, the hand grenades seized in Ümraniye and the light-antitank weapons as well as the sizeable ammunition seized in Poyrazköy, the voice recordings kept upon the instructions of the gendarmerie general commander, hundreds of secret documents, the coup journals by Mustafa Balbay and Özden Örnek, the coup plots and the Council of State murder were all fabricated by the ruling party, the Gülen movement and counter-revolutionary forces to silence the people.
The lawyers say that the documents, evidence and digital data amount to three terabytes. However, those who do not want to see the truth revealed, in trying to undermine the case, say, “Three terabytes amount to 64 million pages; who could read and understand this?” When there is no good faith, there is no difference between the lack of any evidence and availability of many. But let us ask this question: Is there not a single piece of document that would at least raise some doubts on the existence of a junta among this huge collection of evidence?
Do those who pay attention to the achievement of contemporary civilization standards pointed out by Atatürk evaluate Ergenekon like the progressives in Turkey? The answer to this question is in the next column.
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