Terrorism charges against Karaca do not make sense, CHP leader says

General manager of the Samanyolu Broadcasting Group (STV) Hidayet Karaca was arrested on suspicion of heading a terrorist group based on “evidence” that came from a soap opera script that was broadcast five years ago on STV. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
General manager of the Samanyolu Broadcasting Group (STV) Hidayet Karaca was arrested on suspicion of heading a terrorist group based on “evidence” that came from a soap opera script that was broadcast five years ago on STV. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: February 13, 2015

The leader of the main opposition party has implied that the recent arrest of Hidayet Karaca, the general manager of the Samanyolu Broadcasting Group (STV), on charges of heading a terrorist organization does not make sense as there is no solid evidence against the suspect.

“What evidence do they [police] have in hand? Is it possible for one person to stage a coup against the government?” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), asked during an interview on the private broadcaster NTV on Wednesday evening.

Karaca was arrested on suspicion of heading a terrorist group based on “evidence” that came from a soap opera script that was broadcast five years ago on STV.
The CHP leader dismissed the government’s claim that his party supports an alleged “parallel structure” nested in the state and stressed that his party’s attitude is to stand by any citizen who faces unlawful accusations.

In remarks that revealed the CHP leader sees the arrest as a government-orchestrated crackdown aimed at silencing dissenting media, he said: “If there are any weapons involved, let’s call [Karaca] to account [before the law]. … Some of us must side with the victim. They say, ‘You are backing the parallel structure,’ because we stand by the victim.”

“Parallel structure” is a term used by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to refer to the Gülen movement, which is inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar.

Erdoğan launched a battle against the movement, also called Hizmet, following two sweeping graft probes that went public in December 2013 in which four then-Cabinet ministers as well as Erdoğan himself were implicated.

Erdoğan, who was prime minister at the time the graft probes went public, has claimed, without providing any solid evidence, that the prosecutors and high-level police officers who launched the corruption probes are linked with the movement.

Kılıçdaroğlu said Erdoğan’s claim the CHP is cooperating with a “parallel structure” is another attempt to cover up allegations of government corruption. Challenging the government to present evidence of the CHP’s cooperation with an alleged “parallel structure,” Kılıçdaroğlu noted that it was the government itself that had excellent ties with Gülen until the graft probes went public.

“As prime minister, you sent the speaker of your government [Bülent Arınç] there [to the villa where Gülen lives in the US] to ask for his instructions,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

The CHP leader also made clear that he does not find the government the least bit convincing when it claimed to have been deceived by a “parallel structure” given that the ruling party closely cooperated with the movement until the probes.

“You have an intelligence organization and a police organization. Are you a child? The moment you said you were deceived, you no longer have the right to remain in that seat [of power],” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“How is it that you only realize you were deceived after your corruption came out?” he further demanded to know, accusing the government of trying to hush up allegations of corruption by portraying the graft probes as an effort to overthrow the government.

Meanwhile, a letter penned by Hidayet Karaca that details the threats faced by the media in Turkey was published on Monday by Le Monde, a leading newspaper in France.

In his letter to Le Monde — a daily with a circulation of 312,000 that receives 64 million visitors to its web site monthly — Karaca said that independent media in Turkey are facing an unprecedented threat.

As part of the Dec. 14 police operation in which Karaca was arrested, Zaman Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı was also detained on similar charges, but was released by the court pending trial.

Both STV and the Zaman daily, which has said the government should answer for widespread allegations of corruption, are affiliated with the Gülen movement.

Source: Today's Zaman , February 12, 2015


Related News

LDP leader says received ‘indecent proposal’ from pro-gov’t paper

“They said I would make the headline story of the newspaper if I agreed to speak to them about the existence and alleged activities of a parallel state. I rejected this indecent proposal. Let them keep their headlines and proposal,” the LDP leader said on Thursday, speaking to Today’s Zaman.

Turkmen Alevite Association and Kimse Yok Mu distribute aid to 1840 families in Ramadan

Özdemir Özdemir, president of Turkmen Alevite Association, thanked Kimse Yok Mu and expressed that Ramadan is an important time for Alevite-Sunni brotherhood. Two organizations worked together, showing a good example of solidarity and brotherhood. The Alevite association identified 1840 needy families in Ankara and distributed food packages, which were supported by Kimse Yok Mu.

Full-Fledged Hate Speech By Erdoğan: Gülen Movement Became ‘Unthinking Slaves’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has added new insults to his rich collection of hate speeches and defamation targeting Gülen movement on Wednesday and said that “Gülen movement members lost their way, and only follow orders from their owner Fethullah Gülen.”

Bank Asya says it weathers ‘stress test’, still strong

Turkish media say state-owned companies and institutional depositors loyal to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have withdrawn TL 4 billion ($1.79 billion), some 20 percent of the bank’s total deposits, over the last month to try to sink the lender. The government has declined to comment. Bank Asya’s chief executive Ahmet Beyaz said the bank’s founders included sympathizers of cleric Fethullah Gülen, who officials say is behind the corruption investigation posing one of the biggest challenges to Erdoğan’s 11-year rule. But he said the bank was not at risk.

Rule of law casualty of AKP-Gulen conflict

The AKP government thinks that by labeling corruption investigations and operations as a “coup” and calling those behind them as “parallel state” that it has found a justifiable way to interfere with the judiciary. Otherwise the government would not have submitted a draft bill to the parliament that totally eliminates the functional independence of the judiciary bureaucracy and promotes the minister of justice, who represents the executive branch, to the status of single decision-maker.

3 journalists detained after interview with jailed Gülen-linked businessman

Three local journalists in Turkey’s Gaziantep province were detained by police after releasing an interview with jailed businessman Ahmet Selim Ener, who was imprisoned over alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Two additional Turkish schools to open in Casablanca

President Obama sends message to Gulen-inspired International Cultural Festival

Securitizing the Hizmet / Gulen movement

Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) bridging Eastern, Western worlds

Gülen Community and Gülen’s Reminder

The Public Trial of Fethullah Gulen

Iqbal university to be set up in Lahore

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News