By Andranik Ispiryan

The events involving the arrest of Erzincan Chief Prosecutor İlhan Cihaner on February 16 are rapidly unfolding in Turkey, causing a threatening confrontation between the Turkish authorities and Prosecutor’s Office. The developments actually have to do with the notorious Ergenekon case.

The Justice and Development Party, Turkey’s ruling party, is not at all “all right” now. The Turkish Prosecutor’s Office “has taken up arms” against the party. We get an even bleaker picture when we consider the fact that the chief prosecutor of Turkey's Court of Cassation is on the point of bringing an indictment against the party to demand that it be dissolved. The Turkish press reports that the indictment contains a demand for prohibiting Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan and other high-ranking officials from engaging in politics.

On February 16, Ilhan Cihaner’s office and home were searched, he was arrested and brought to Erzurum for interrogation.

Born in Kars in 1968, Ilhan Cihaner was appointed Erzincan Chief Prosecutor in 2007. Immediately afterwards, he focused his attention on Gülen movement (the religious support of Turkey’s ruling party) and on the İsmailağa religious community. Cihaner launched an investigation into their activities. The records of telephone talks between İsmailağa members are available on the T24.com.tr website. Cihaner himself had ordered the phones to be tapped.

The specially-authorized prosecutor Osman Şanal ordered Cihaner to be arrested on charges of “membership in Ergenekon” and “abuse of power”. The latter charge involved major abuse in connection with construction work. A relevant claim was lodged with the Tunceli court, which demands 26 years’ imprisonment for Cihaner. However, Ilhan Cihaner is a first-class prosecutor, which requires a judicial inquiry by the Court of Cassation. The former charge, “membership in Ergenekon”, proved to be the basis for arrest.

Cihaner’s arrest evoked an unprecedented response by the Turkish Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). The Board ordered the dismissal of all the prosecutors of the Court of Special Jurisdiction, which had ordered Cihaner to be arrested. A correspondent of the Aktifhaber website claims that it will enable the HSYK to appoint its own candidates to the posts for the case to be dismissed.

The Erzincan Chief Prosecutor’s arrest and the HSYK’s order for dismissal of the prosecutors of the Court of Special Jurisdiction caused Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan to hold an extraordinary meeting. Participating in the meeting were Turkish Vice- Premier Bülent Arınç, Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin, Interior Minister of Turkey Beşir Atalay, and other high-ranking officials.

Following the meeting, Minister Sadullah Ergin made a statement criticizing the HSYK’s decision. He pointed out that the HSYK was not entitled to make such a decision. Minister Ergin was also critical of President of the Council of State Mustafa Birden and the chairmen of the Turkish Court of Cassation, who supported the HSYK’s decision.

HSYK Chairman Kadir Özbek made a harsh response to Ergin’s strongly-worded statement. “Unfortunately, the Minister is misinforming the public,” he said.

The confrontation between the Turkish authorities and Prosecutor’s Office was not at all a surprise. We have only to recall the attitude shown to the persons involved in the Ergenekon case. Many of them, who were arrested on grave changes, are enjoying themselves in hospitals of the Turkish Ministry of Justice. As regards the editor of the Vakit newspaper, who was critical of that situation, he was detained and released after being interrogated for 5 hours.

Significant events are expected in Turkey soon, and the country’s society is going to be rocked by new scandals.

T.P.