New arrests in Turkey's Ergenekon operation, as interrogations end

Interrogations of the suspected detained on Tuesday completed on Friday, as their detainment period expires. Prosecutors asked the court to arrest Ret. Gen. Sener Eruygur, Chairman of Kemalist Tought Association (ADD), and Ret. Gen. Hursit Tolon. Â

 

Earlier on Saturday four people arrested include Sinan Aygun, Ret. Colonel Hasan Atilla Ugur, Ibrahim Ozcan, Hayrettin Altintas and Birol Basaran. Â

 

Retired Admiral Ilker Guven and anti-AKP leftist Cumhuriyet's Ankara bureau chief Mustafa Balbay were released, while Osman Gurbuz were arrested by the court.

 

Three of the detainees were taken to the hospital due to their worsening health conditions. Neriman Aydin and Kemal Aydin were hospitalized late on Friday, then brought to court for interrogation.

 

Late on Friday,  Eruygur suffered from hyper tension during procedures in the court house and was hospitalized. He brought to the court for interrogation on Saturday.

 

The detainment of more than 21 people, including two former commanders, under the latest wave of the Ergenekon operation further heightened tension in Turkey. Under the Ergenekon operation, an illegal organization is claimed to be plotting a series of events to provoke the armed forces to overthrow the government. Â

 

However the lack of an indictment in the operation, which started 13 months ago, and the detainment of anti-AKP politicians, journalists and intellectuals without any legal charges raised eyebrows in Turkey, as many questioned whether the operation is being used to suppress opponents of the government.

 

The prosecutor's office said on Friday the indictment would be delayed further due to new detainments, signaling the continuation of the prolonged legal uncertainty.

 

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Anti-AKP Cumhuriyet daily's Ankara bureau chief, Mustafa Balbay, has been released by the court.

 

Prof. Dr. Ercument Ovali was released by the court pending trial. Journalist Erol  Mutercimler and Adnan Turkkan were released on Saturday.

 

The detainees appeared in court for the first time on late Thursday, and four of the detainees had  beenreleased by the court early on Friday.

 

Ufuk Buyukcelebi, the editor-in-chief of "Halka ve Olaylara Tercuman" newspaper; businessman Siyami Yalcin; TV correspondent Murat Avar and Hamza Demir were released by the court after prosecutors asked the criminal court on duty in Istanbul to arrest the four on charges of "being a member of the Ergenekon terrorist organization".

 

Newspapers reported on Saturday Buyukcelebi was detained because he swore AKP officials and said that the ruling party "would be closed," in a tapped phone conversation.