No attempt was made to kidnap Hakan Fidan!

Regarding the July 15th incident involving then-MIT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan,in the case opened on charges of attempting to kidnap him and damaging public property, the Presiding Judge addressed the discomfort expressed over my verbatim reporting of the events from the June 13th hearing. The judge stated that they had investigated whether the environment was being bugged or recorded, and concluded that no such surveillance or recording had taken place. Reiterating his view that publishing verbatim statements from the hearings is inappropriate, the judge announced that the issue of imposing a confidentiality order on the file and blocking access to publications would be evaluated along with the final verdict.

In today's session of the case, which is being heard by the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court at the Sincan Prison Campus courtroom, the final defendant, Özcan Karacan, completed his unfinished defense statement.

IF YOU ARE NOT CALLING THESE COMMANDERS STUPID

Claiming that the accusations leveled against him were foolish, Karacan spoke as follows:

“Everything was normal for us that night. It was assumed and accepted that everything was being done under the orders of Hulusi Akar. The helicopters were where they were supposed to be. Those who were supposed to be outside were outside, and those who were supposed to be inside were inside. Land Forces Commander Salih Zeki Çolak, Chief of Staff İhsan Uyar, and Garrison Commander Metin Gürak conducted inspections and investigations for hours. Then they drank our tea and coffee and left. If you are not calling them stupid, if you are not saying, ‘They didn’t understand the coup that started 5 minutes after they left,’ then everything was normal.”

HAS Ali Yazıcı LOST HIS MIND?

Karacan, "They say the former aide-de-camp of the President, Ali Yazıcı, has lost his mind." while voicing this claim, he said the following:

"If I were in his shoes, I would have lost my mind too. The man he was by the side of for years is not there for him even once, and he is accused of trying to kill him. They ate and drank together; he even named his child. It is a very heavy burden. If he doesn't lose his mind, should I?"

MEHMET GÖRMEZ WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED IF HE HAD SEEN THE COBRA'S LIGHT

Claiming that the courts make and will continue to make decisions based on what they hear from liars, Özcan Karacan continued as follows:

"So who are these liars? Who is the witness this court is most afraid of telling the truth to, as it is commanded? Mehmet Görmez. He explained that he was trying to find the location of the FETÖ members. Is there any proof? No. He said he saw the firing light of the Cobras behind him. I asked him if he knew what a Cobra's light was. He replied, 'How would I know?' It is certain that there is no such thing as a Cobra's firing light, because those who see that light do not survive."

Özcan Karacan concluded his defense with the following statements:

"O.K., who went to the MIT, was sent back to the Army Aviation Command with a listening device placed on him. They published everything. What came out of that device? Let them publish it so we can see. I am not mentioned at all in O.K.'s statement. Isn't that very interesting? I only want a concrete answer from the prosecutor: When did the MIT Undersecretary want to leave the MIT and was unable to do so? We said, 'Radio recordings can be altered,' and you did not investigate. If the audio recordings of December 17/25 cannot be altered, then these cannot be altered either. If the recordings of December 17/25 can be altered, then these can be altered as well."

Karacan's lawyer, Ayşe Süeda Ünal, stated the following in summary:

"The alleged accusations have not been substantiated. No evidence was collected during the investigation phase, and the suspects were not questioned. The most important issue in the file is that the complainant, Hakan Fidan, was not questioned. Yes, questioning the MIT Undersecretary is subject to the President's permission. However, within the scope of this file, where Hakan Fidan was that day, what he did, and its connection to state security were never discussed. Even if a connection to state security were established, the court could have questioned him privately. The reason given for not questioning him was that he did not know the defendants and had no knowledge or observation of the events. If he is a victim, how can he have no knowledge or observation? If he has no knowledge, then the event did not happen. The great MIT claims deprivation of liberty. Is there not a single witness to this? Even Mehmet Görmez did not say, 'I am complaining about these defendants.'"

I HAVE BEEN CLEARED(!) BUT STILL WARNED

Addressing the Court President's discomfort regarding our verbatim reporting of what happened in the courtroom during the last session, Attorney Ünal said, "You said you were conducting ambient monitoring. I am meeting with my client. This is a violation of confidentiality. Microphones are already hanging from above. You put everyone under suspicion by stating that you were investigating whether recordings were being made in the hall. Examine yourselves first."

Upon this, the Court President stated that they had not detected any recordings being made in the hall, while once again reminding that the news reports were published in media outlets affiliated with FETÖ, and requested that sensitivity be shown in reporting before the hearing minutes or SEGBİS records are released, for the purpose of precaution and warning. The President also noted that the imposition of a confidentiality order on the case and the blocking of access to news reports would be evaluated along with the verdict.

FINAL WORDS AND VERDICT

Following the completion of the defense statements, the defendants were asked for their final words. Some of the defendants stated the following:

İlkay Ateş: “I have forgiven everyone who tortured me and I have absolved them of my rights; however, the judges and prosecutors are exempt from this.”

Murat Bolat: “I always saw the prosecutor playing with his phone. Yet, I have been made a defendant in this case where I should have been a witness. I believe my name was written in the plaintiff's petition by mistake.”

Rafet Kalaycı: “We will see if there is any difference between the decision you will make and that of the 17th High Criminal Court and its presiding judge, Oğuz Dik.”

Ünsal Coşkun: "It is absurd to have the final word when there is no crime to begin with."

Özcan Karacan: "We have been together for 3 years. I would have liked to say a few nice things to you, but I don't feel like it. The decision you are about to make does not interest me at all. Goodbye."

After a one-hour recess, the presiding judge announced the verdict, stating that there was no grounds for sentencing Ümit Alpar, Rafet Kalaycı, İlkay Ateş, and Murat Karakaş, who were accused of damaging public property. The judge also stated that Murat Bolat, İlkay Ateş, Ünsal Coşkun, Özcan Karacan, Rafet Kalaycı, Ömer Kızılova, Zafer Dolu, Rıza Akıncı, Ali Ercan, and Cebrail Sert, who were accused of depriving individuals of their liberty, were acquitted on the grounds that the act remained in the preparatory stage and did not reach the execution phase, meaning the elements of the crime were not met.

Müyesser YILDIZ

June 26, 2024