Zekeriya Öz was about to get beaten up that day

Turkey has overcome a major trauma that began in the last days of 2013 and had an impact on 2014. For an entire year, the state, country and nation battled against an organization, which for the most part has its roots abroad, but with extensions that spread to Turkey’s society and the state apparatus.

An operation originating externally was conducted in the guise of being native and in a language understood locally; forcing people to take a stand against the state and nation and adopt a stance in favor of an organization.

The traditional opposition structures were left depleted in terms of discourse and vision, and no longer had sufficient credibility in the eyes of society. First the traditional opposition circles were brought together. Plans were made for a change in leadership by resorting to violence and terror through the creation of an umbrella organization. Terror was spread on the streets. This was their last hope. But it ended in failure. All it left behind was ugliness and evil.

A project was initiated to create a seemingly local and conservative opposition sphere in order to stop the cadres -- and the masses who were giving the utmost support to these cadres – from creating a Turkey, which had brought its conservative identity to the fore, which backed a local stance, which was trying to forge it own path ahead based on Turkey’s accumulated knowledge from the past, and which was trying to build a complex-free and independent future.

Just like Muslim countries had been used to fortify against the spread of Soviet ideology during the Cold War, a conservative organization was being used this time to create a point of resistance against Turkey’s issuing of a homegrown challenge. Islamic terminology and sensitivities were exploited to the utmost to this end. Previously unheard of campaigns of sedition and lies were used to pollute minds.

In the same way that the military intervention of Feb. 28, 1997 represented the first trial run for the globally-initiated Feb. 28 event, the same applied here: The construction of a New Turkey was sabotaged via conservative structures, and “moderate Islam” i.e. “America’s Islam” that had been propagated for years in the fight against the Soviets was now being used to strike at Turkey.

The world had changed and global power struggles were largely being conducted in the region where Muslims dominate, and fronts were being established there. The rising Islamic wave was starting to pose a threat to the West, just like the Soviets had been.

In order to stop this wave, anti-terrorism centers were established for the last 20 years in every corner of the planet, and military interventions and occupations were undertaken. Asian countries rose to prominence as economic and military powers and new centers of power were being created across the planet. No one wanted to receive instructions from the Atlantic center any longer.

The intervention of Dec. 17, 2013 was the second grand design made on Turkey after Feb. 28. The aim was to purge the political mindset and cadres who were attempting to free Anatolia, stand up for Jerusalem, and spur the world of Islam into action, by resorting to a seemingly conservative organization. Following that, the aim was to use this seemingly conservative organization to create a leadership structure, and once again place the country under tutelage.

The coup attempt failed, however, the project to create this conservative leadership structure will continue. Interventions carried out by resorting to this structure will also continue. Nonetheless, the probability is high that the public will prevent the creation of this conservative opposition, just like it rendered void the coup attempt.

It is on the basis of this that it is quite possible to say that the operation being carried out under the symbolic leadership of Fethullah Gülen is a continuation of the multinational Feb. 28 intervention.

The reason for their operational cadres on the inside acting with such confidence and assuredness was the support they sensed, or to be more precise, the strength they drew from orders received. The Feb. 28 intervention was a joint operation of the Israeli extreme right and the neoconservatives in the United States. It was carried out via military elements in Turkey with close ties to them. There are very clear signs that the same circles had a hand in the Dec. 17 attempt. Furthermore, the center of the operation was in the United States and everything was orchestrated from there.

I recall the incidents on Dec. 18, 2013. Zekeriya Öz, who was suspended the previous day, raided the anti-fraud branch of the police department. He tried to force the police officers to draw up an organizational map. He wanted to write down Tayyip Erdoğan’s name as the person heading the organization. Ministers etc would follow further down. He was acting so assuredly and in such a carefree manner that he even threatened police officials who refused to carry out his orders. In his opinion the coup attempt had succeeded, the government was on its way out, Erdoğan was about to be handcuffed and ministers placed under arrest.

He was hurriedly thrown out of the anti-fraud branch following Efkan Ala’s intervention. Öz, who was trying to have an organizational map drawn up, was chased out of there. He was about to get beaten up.

Not just Öz, but other prosecutors, judges, security officials, journalists, businessmen, and whoever else you can think of, that were part of the organization, were in some way certain that the coup attempt would succeed. A decision had already been made regarding the new government, cadres, and appointments. A decision had also already been made regarding who would be purged and sent to prison.

Anyone opposed to them, or who might oppose them, would be eliminated. It was on this basis that thousands of people had wire taps placed on them, had their movements tracked, had their conversations recorded, and were victims of machinations that linked them to illegal organizations or other crimes. The dossiers were ready. Anyone who raised their voice would be imprisoned.

There are dozens of such dossiers. They were not able to find anyone who would listen to their woes back then. All the judicial institutions of the state had shut their doors in their faces. Many of these people went bankrupt and their lives were made miserable. Now countless numbers of such files arrive at newspaper offices describing what they went through.

In correspondence exchanged between police officers working in the intelligence section of the police department, and who were placing wire taps, they would say things such as, “Did instructions arrive from abroad; when are we picking the prime minister up?” and “We will gather up the Council of Ministers here (the police department).” They used extremely foul language when referring to the prime minister.

Everyone with a personal hatred of Erdoğan is now joining the same front as these putschists. There is no idea or political calculation involved. It is purely a shift based on resentment and hatred. They are trying to conceal their depleted selves in this way, and seek a new lease of life through an illegal quest. And there is no doubt that some are under the influence of foreign actors involved in the intervention.

I was part of a group of journalists who accompanied Erdoğan on a condolence visit when he was prime minister. It was during the days when the Ergenekon operation was in full swing. It was the turn of writers, and it was being said that some of them would be detained.

Ali Bayramoğlu brought this issue to the agenda. He was reproachful of comments that Ferhat Kentel would be detained. Erdoğan’s response was, “Is such a thing even possible.” Following Erdoğan’s intervention, Kentel was saved from being detained. Now the same person’s conspiring with parallel circles (the terms parallel structure and community are used to refer to the Gülen-led movement) against Erdoğan should serve as an object lesson.

Is it just Kentel? No, there are scores of people like this.

On the one hand, we have Zekeriya Öz’s “bullying” attitude at the anti-fraud branch, and on the other hand, we have Kentel’s imprudence. Both are the result of frustration. And then we have those who moan and cry, and issue calls for the implementation of press freedom and justice. There were all Zekeriya Öz identikits on Dec. 16, 2013.

I wish us all a beautiful year…