Court rejects release of suspects in Ergenekon case

Court rejected the demand of release for all arrested suspects in Ergenekon case on Monday. The court also rejected prosecutor's demand of issuing a warrant of arrest for 19 suspects. Chief Prosecutor Mehmet Ali Pekguzel read his opinion on the Ergenekon case to Istanbul High Criminal Court No. 13 on Monday. After 2,271-page long opinion was read by three prosecutors in five hours, the court recessed to assess the demands of prosecutor and the lawyers of the suspects. Chief Prosecutor Pekguzel, in his opinion, underlined the existence of the "Ergenekon" terrorist organization, and demanded aggravated life in prison for many defendants. There are 275 defendants in the Ergenekon case and 67 of them are in prison. Prosecutors claimed that the "Ergenekon terrorist organization" existed and the organization was responsible for virtually every act of political violence - and controlled every terrorist group - in Turkey over the last 30 years. Pekguzel asked aggravated life in prison for 64 suspects including retired Gen. Alaettin Sevim, Birol Basaran, Bekir Ozturk, Cihander Hasanoglu, Durmus Ali Ozoglu, retired Col. Dursun Cicek, Emin Gurses, author Ergun Poyraz, Erhan Timuroglu, Erol Manisa, retired Gen. Hursit Tolon, Ferid Ilsever, Fuat Selvi, Habib Umit Sayin, Hasan Ataman Yildirim, Hasan Atilla Ugur, Hayrettin Ertekin, Hayrullah Mahmud Ozgur, Hulusi Gulbahar, Gen. Hifzi Cubuklu, retired Gen. Hasan Igsiz, retired Gen. Hursit Tolon, Gen. Huseyin Nusret Tasdeler, Huseyin Gorum, retired Gen. Ismail Hakki Pekin, Ismail Sagir, Ismail Yildiz, Kemal Aydin, former Chief of General Staff retired Gen. Ilker Basbug, Levent Gokceoglu, retired Gen. Mehmet Eroz, retired Adm. Mehmet Otuzbiroglu, Mehmet Fikri Karadag, Muammer Karabulut, Muhittin Erdal Sener, Murat Uslukilic, former rector Prof. Abbas Yurtkuran of Uludag University, Mustafa Donmez, Mustafa Koc, Mustafa Ozbek, Neriman Aydin, Oktay Yildirim, Orhan Guclu, Osman Yildirim, former rector Prof. Riza Ferit Bernay of 19 Mayis University, Sedat Ozuer, Serhan Bolluk, Sevgi Erenerol, Tekin Irsi, Yusuf Erikel, Ziya Ilker Goktas, journalist Tuncay Ozkan, perpetrator of attack on Council of State Alparslan Aslan, Labor Party Chairman Dogu Perincek, former rector Prof. Fatih Hilmioglu of Inonu University, former Chairman Prof. Kemal Guruz of Higher Board of Education (YOK), former rector Prof. Kemal Alemdaroglu of Istanbul University, retired Gen. Levent Ersoz, lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, Republican People's Party (CHP) deputies Mehmet Haberal, Mustafa Balbay and Sinan Aygun, retired Gen. Sener Eruygur, Odatv case's suspect Yalcin Kucuk, and Gen. Veli Kucuk.