Wednesday, February 20, 2008, Turkis Daily News
So what is the deep state? It is a joke. I hope one day we all laugh at the shallowness that it created!
Orhan Kemal Cengiz
I have been trying to tell you the story of complicated and sophisticated harassment and intimidation attempts toward a human rights lawyer in the case of the massacre of three Christians in Malatya. And this story is not completed. It is still unfolding.
The letter I was quoting in the last piece ends with a so called “death list.” After this letter reached the court file, I received a “support letter” in which someone pretends to be an “Armenian” from Malatya and supports me. For me, it is so clear that behind this “Armenian” voice are the same people who have been trying to manipulate the case and create smoke around me. They had sent a letter to the court, claming that Orhan Cengiz is an Armenian and that a so-called “Armenian” sent Orhan Cengiz a supportive letter. Under this “Armenian’s letter” is the signature of “Ali Aslan,” whose name was also on the informer letter accusing the gendarme commanders in Malatya of these murders.
Allegations, counter-allegations – some dark forces are fighting over this case. Finally I learned that one of the alleged conspirators in the Malatya murder case has been visiting newspapers and trying to tell them a complicated conspiracy theory. This man, with the name V.B.A, whose name was mentioned by the suspects in the Malatya case as someone who “inspired” them to fight against Christians and who was caught with a automatic rifle (AK-47) in his possession in Adıyaman, started to give statements to some media outlets as soon as he released from prison, accusing me of being the conspirator of the Santoro, Dink and Malatya murders.
They are now widening up the scope of their conspiracy theories. Finally, it becomes crystal clear to me that their attempts will not stop, and I have applied to a prosecutor in Ankara, telling the whole story, and applied the Ankara governor for police protection. I am being threatened by “the deep state.”
Human Rights organizations’ response:
Amnesty International issued an urgent action for my protection. (http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa04008.pdf ) Three major human rights nongovernmental organizations in Turkey (Human Rights Association, Mazlumder and Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly) made a common declaration to urge the government to stop the harassment that I am facing in connection with the Malatya massacre case. I am grateful to them. I have been working as a human rights lawyer for the last 15 years and I am well known to human rights circles in Turkey and abroad. I cannot help thinking what kind of devastating effects this campaign would have on a person with less experience, with less of a support base. It would probably be devastating!
Deep state is not deep at all:
This article’s title bears the phrase “deep state.” Actually, it is not deep at all. It is too apparent, too obvious. They do not even bother to hide. In such a case as the Malatya murder trial, which is closely watched by the world, they feel themselves free in their efforts to harass the victims’ lawyers. Where does this power come from? The answer is simple: Impunity!
The so-called “deep state apparatus” in Turkey knows that even their cheapest manipulations will not be investigated; they will not be touched. They know Turkish society is dying to buy their cheapest sick theories. If there are buyers, there will always be sellers. Turkish society has always tended to go in the direction the conspiracy theories’ creators wanted them to go. Look at Turkey’s history of coup d’etats. You will see how the support base prepared step by step for these military interventions. Look at the history of political murders; you will see that conspirators have always won. If they wanted to provoke Kurds, they killed Kurds; if they wanted to provoke seculars, they killed a secular figure, and so on. After all of these murders, Turkish society took the path the conspirators wanted them to take. Why should they give up, then?
Thought-provoking reader comments:
I received support from many individuals during these irritating times. One of them is Hans A. de Wit, whom Turkish Daily News readers will remember from his remarkable articles published in this newspaper. Hans has a nice Web blog (http://internationmusing.blogspot.com). He published the third piece of a series on his Web site. I just checked readers’ responses to its publication on this Web blog. They are very interesting and thought provoking. I would like to share them with you.
These are the reader comments on conspiracy theories about me.
Thomas said: “The results of an insane and sick, deeply sick mind, or minds. There are tons of people in Turkey who will believe this ‘letter’ as I experienced.”
Tufan said: “Nothing new under our Turkish Sun.But what disturbs me is this:a) Turkish migrants reading Hürriyet take everything for granted, even if Turks are killed.b) The complete ignorance of the Turkish public about the real power struggle, a.k.a. the military.c) The ridiculous stance Hürriyet takes. I am ashamed by fellow Turks abroad; they still cannot think on their own. Intelligence poverty.
d) Why, and why does a foreigner like Hans always have to point out these pacts? Are Turks cowards? Yes, they are!!!”
Gulay said: “no, Turkish people are generally like sheep or the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would not be in power… As for this article the really sad part is that a lot of Turks will believe this as their belief in some vast conspiracy to destroy Turkey (which after Paris 1919 may be well founded) never stops… This also says much about the appalling standards of Turkish journalism”
Hans replies: “Gulay, the Sevres syndrome is obviously still alive.Yes, Turks act like sheep; it is no more for the AKP than it is for the CHP (Republican People’s Party). I miss one thing in Turkish society: proactivity. It is so much a boss culture. Many Turkish people always look for a father figure. Only people who spend several years in the United States, Australia or Europe have a much more critical view. I’ve seen so many talented Turkish young people getting crazy in the workplace since their bosses stick to an ‘I am the boss, you listen only’ mentality.”
So what is the deep state? It is a joke. I hope one day we will all laugh at the shallowness that it created!