Saturday, February 16, 2008, Turkish Daily News
I am the lawyer of the victims in the brutal murder case of three Christian missioners (by slitting their throats) in Malatya. And the story gets complicated
Orhan Kemal Cengiz
In the last piece of this series, I completed my article with a long quotation from a so called “informer” letter, accusing me of conspiring of all murders in Malatya and put it in the context of an internal conflict within the protestant community, namely between Americans and Germans. This story is getting complicated, again I should remind you, I am the lawyer of the victims in the brutal murder case of three Christian missioners (by slitting their throats) in Malatya.. You may laugh and put aside this letter thinking it is just written by an insane person. However, I have different ideas. The letter, which you are about to read, I think, was written and sent to the court to meet different needs and purposes.
1) When you read it carefully, you will see that, it is not trying to be convincing. Instead it prefers to seem very speculative and implausible. Why? Because I think, it would like to say to the court that every kind of conspiracy can be produced about anyone, no matter what his position is. As if it is trying to tell the court that “even a human rights lawyer, defending the rights of the victims, can be accused of conspiring the murderers and then appear before the suspects as a person who accuses them and try to get them punished as heavily as possible. In this context, I would like to remind you that there is an uninvestigated “informer letter” in the court file, accusing some high rank soldiers, an academician and a director of one of the ultra nationalist party for paving the way of these murders. Just consider how the court will review it after having this conspiracy letter about me.
2) This letter attempts to create smoke and confusion surrounding the case and me. It is trying to sow the seeds of suspicion about me. There are so many details and it tries to provoke some ordinary people to think that there must be some truth in it. It tries to create an image of me, that can be demonized easily and comfortably. If they decide to kill me in the future than the pretext will be ready. Mr. Cengiz was the head of American mission and unfortunately he was killed by the German mission who tried to take revenge. This might be funny for you but do not forget how highly regarded conspiracy theories are in Turkey. Some people even tried to assert that Hrant Dink was killed by an Armenian, because the Armenian lobby was irritated by Mr. Dink’s approach to the Armenian matter.
3) This detailed letter of conspiracy once again includes some details which can only be obtained through interception of my communications. Almost all information contained in this letter is wrong but there is one single element that makes me very suspicious about it. I really went to the U.S. after some time of the incident, to give a presentation to the Orthodox community there in order to give them some ideas about the legal aspects of the problems of the Patriarchate. The “authors” of this letter knows these events and try to distort them in their letters.
4) I think this letter also a kind of personal letter addressing to me, saying, “you went much further Mr. Cengiz and you underestimate our capacity.”It also includes some details which may be specifically put in it to refer to my private life. For example it kept saying “Cengiz’s relatives.” I do not have any relatives in Malatya but the family of my former wife, whom I divorced more than three years ago, were from Malatya. It says I was driven out of Nevşehir. My only connection to this city is my former girlfriends. One of them was from this city and the other one was on duty in Nevşehir for a while. I am not sure about these particular points but I think they might also be messages to me to point that “we know everything about you Mr. Cengiz.”
Anyway, after these long explanations, let us read the rest of the letter. However, unfortunately I have to leave out some parts of this text (originally more than four pages long) in order to be able to use my space within its limits. Sorry for that:
‘Mr. Cengiz the Devil’:
“On 13.12.2004, the Covert Group selected Orhan Kemal Cengiz as the most suitable person for this task. In mid-2005, the Covert Group sent a delegation to Turkey. After lengthy negotiations, and tons of money changing hands, Orhan Kemal Cengiz was employed. This only became known later – even by the brothers in the Mission. As a matter of fact, someone by the name of M.H. – an employee of English MI6 – gave us this information. On the basis of this information, we took a decision as MBW, in Nevşehir. We informed the brothers in Istanbul, Samsun, Trabzon and Malatya to stay away from this man. So, I can clearly state that Tilmann’s murderer is Orhan Kemal Cengiz himself. The following brothers know for sure that we issued this warning: M.P., S.H., B.K., S.G., K.Y., D.H. Because together with these brothers we drove Orhan out of Nevşehir. But we stuck to him like glue so that his filth would not spread. So, Orhan will be very familiar with these names. That is, as long as he doesn’t start his demagogy again. Because he has received special training in broadcasting sensationalist news and in manipulating communities.
Orhan Kemal Cengiz is Armenian to the point of racism. He is a Protestant who knows Malatya well, even having relatives there. Cengiz, who joined the Protestants, being baptized in the 90s later managed to convince people of his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ through his service in the earthquake- stricken region. Before he was completely broke but since joining the Mission, Cengiz’ belly is full and there’s money in his pocket. He is a bloody murderer, one of the Covert Group’s bloodthirsty hitmen.
Cengiz, the employee of Kripto, managed to gather together these youths who murdered Tilmann by using his old relatives from Malatya. But he himself was nowhere to be seen, he always used others to do his work. (…) In this fashion, the kids had been organized, the operation would be undertaken and finally they would be taken overseas so the crime could not be solved. The youths had been given cheques in the value of YTL 480,000 and YTL 350 in cash. This is how the kids were deceived. At Cengiz’ request, they had each been advised to write a letter. In any case, they would be heroes. But after the operation began, the kids lost control of the business. Cengiz’ faithful friends Ryan and Gokhan, who had been brought into the Malatya mission, now stepped in and, according to their instructions, changed the course of this business, taking it in a completely different direction. And the events were given the appearance of a murder driven by the kids’ bigotry.
One of the most important reasons for the operation against the Germans was the opposition to America which had developed in Turkey. Germans within the Mission and at other levels were behind this anti-Americanism. For this reason, Germans in Turkey and especially brothers within the Mission, needed to be careful about this man. He ordered urgent protection of Tilmann’s wife, Suzanna (sic), and his children. They were just using sister Suzanna to help the Americans. Because through Orhan Kemal Cengiz, $8 million intended for sister Suzanna was transferred to the Armenians.”
Tasks given to Cengiz by Kripto’:
Some time after these events Orhan Kemal Cengiz was called to America where he gave activity and outcome reports. Directives were given by Kripto about his subsequent activities. Orhan Kemal Cengiz was rewarded with $10 million. Orhan Kemal Cengiz was given complete authority to mobilize and organize the other minorities as well. He was given authority regarding efforts aimed at opening the Heybeliada Seminary and securing an ecumenical character for the Fener Greek Patriarchate. Cengiz was also give lots of money toward his law practice.
Continues…