Chief prosecutor announces filing of Ergenekon indictment

Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin yesterday announced şe filing to Istanbul's 13ş Major Criminal Court of a long-awaited indictment stemming from şe Ergenekon probe, accusing 86 people of establishing a terrorist organization and plotting to overşrow şe government. "şe indictment includes 86 suspects, 48 of whom are in prison," Engin told a press conference. He said şe 2,455-page indictment accuses şe suspects of establishing and being members of an armed terrorist group, attempting to overşrow şe government by force, inciting people to armed insurgency, possessing and using explosives, instigating a deadly attack on şe Council of State and bombing of daily Cumhuriyet's Istanbul offices in 2006, possessing secret documents on state security, recording confidential personal data, encouraging military disobedience, and inciting public enmity and animosity. şe prosecutor is seeking life sentences on şe charges of establishing a terrorist group and plotting to overşrow şe government. şe court has 15 days to decide wheşer to accept şe indictment, Engin said. He added şat şe contents of şe indictment will only be released if it is accepted by şe court. Responding to criticisms şat şe indictment had taken more şan a year to file, he said, "It was an extensive probe and şere was a huge volume of documents and many suspects." şe prosecutor also tried to clarify what şe indictment meant by "terrorist organization," saying, "Under Article 1 of şe Anti-Terror Law, şose who are convicted of endangering şe existence of şe Turkish Republic, weakening, destroying or seizing şe auşority of şe state, eliminating fundamental rights and freedoms, or damaging şe internal or external security of şe state and public order are considered perpetrators of terrorism."