Ergenekon Judge: Necdet Özel Did Nothing Extra

Former judge Hüsnü Çalmuk, a critical figure in the Ergenekon conspiracy, clarified his previous remarks about accessing information on computers that had been wiped and destroyed by "junta members" thanks to the then-Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel, stating, "There was nothing extra, nothing like 'let's help out.' They took the Republic of Turkey court seriously and sent them."

The trial of judges and prosecutors who served during the investigation and prosecution process of the Ergenekon conspiracy, facing charges of "misconduct in office, deprivation of liberty, and forgery of official documents," continued.

In today's session of the trial, held at the 8th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation acting as a court of first instance, former judge Hüsnü Çalmuk continued his defense against the final opinion, which he began last week. Claiming that the charges brought against them were the product of malice, Çalmuk argued that they did not call anyone a terrorist, but rather conducted a terrorism trial and concluded a case that was said would not end in 30 years in a fair and speedy manner.

He corrected his remarks from last week—where he claimed that they reached the documents thanks to then-Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel sending the hard drives, despite the "junta members" wiping and destroying the computers related to the so-called Action Plan for Combating Reactionism and the Internet Memorandum—as follows:

"We wrote to the General Staff to request the main hard drives of the computers. The other side took the Republic of Turkey court seriously and sent them. So, there was nothing extra, nothing like 'let's provide special help.' It wasn't like we were on good terms and they helped us. We wrote letters for months, we sent reminder after reminder. They were giving them bit by bit. We were constantly faced with obstacles. Our concern was not to deal with an official institution, but to uncover the junta structure within it. Of course, the state was also defending itself by reflex. With the documents on the hard drives that arrived, it was proven that İlker Başbuğ had approved the Internet Memorandum, and it was revealed that the closure case filed against the AK Party was prepared with the data found here."

Claiming that the Council of State attack was used as a violent element to provide the groundwork for the closure case against the AKP, Çalmuk said, "A member of the Council of State of the state was unfortunately wasted and martyred for this cause. These people have no value for human life. They will do anything."

Continuing his defense, Çalmuk touched upon the attitude of the General Staff once again, stating that while the information and documents they requested were not sent at the beginning of the case—using a period in their letter as an excuse—a pile of documents arrived in the file after certain individuals at the General Staff left, retired, or were arrested.

IF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HAD WAITED, IT WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THAT DECISION

After reading the phone transcripts in the Ergenekon file, the notes alleged to have been seized from the defendants, and the justifications for their verdict, Hüsnü Çalmuk made the following claims:

"The Constitutional Court made a violation decision in a hurry. If it had waited for our reasoned decision, it would not have made this decision. No one reads our reasoned decision because it is long. If they read it, they would see that it is a pile of evidence and that these defendants carried out all the activities between 2002 and 2009. We are being tried here because the clowns, the acrobats, and the puppeteers pulling the strings have been exposed."

The hearing will continue tomorrow with Hüsnü Çalmuk's defense.

News Source: 12punto