Investigation Against Researchers on Army

Turkey’s Police General Directorate has launched an investigation into academics at the Police Academy who contributed to the 2005 “Security Sector and Democratic Oversight” Almanac published by the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV).

The investigation comes just days after the “Turkey Almanac 2005”, jointly published by TESEV and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), was harshly criticized by the Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit in his October 3 landmark speech at the War Academies as being “part of the attrition campaign against the armed forces”.

Turkey’s top general claimed the Almanac was full of errors and was particularly critical of “the most important issue being that of the 22 sections that constitute this document, 9 have been written by the Police Academy”.

He then went on to say that “in this period where we most require cooperation between institutions, I leave it up to you to decide on how such work carried out by the leading establishments and institutions of the state will be of any help”.

A police statement in the wake of his remarks said the Academy had launched an investigation into its lecturers, Dr. Zuhtu Arslan, Dr. Onder Aytac, Dr. Ertan Bese, Dr. Ibrahim Cerrah and Dr. Mesut Bedri Eryilmaz who had contributed to the Almanac.

Police respond in line

The Police General Directorate statement issued on Thursday, October 5, before Gen. Buyukanit’s remarks had time to settle and be widely debated, denied any direct involvement with the Almanac that angered the armed forces and said its contributors from the Police Academy had not requested permission.

"Our institution has no relationship whatsoever with the Almanac that has been prepared by TESEV” the police statement said, adding, “Non of those Academy lecturer staff who have articles in the said Almanac have applied to the Police General Directorate or the Police Academy Presidency not have they been given written or verbal permission.

“Those who have articles in the Almanac are not of the Security Services Grade and are personnel with academic titles. The opinions expressed by these persos in the almanac are totally their own views, do not bind our institution nor reflect its views”.

The statement then went on to say that Academy Presidency had launched an enquiry and investigation into the relevant academics.

Those reported to be under investigation together with their relevant sections in the Almanac were identified as:

Zuhtu Arslan:Government

Ibrahim Cerrah: Police

Ertan Bese: Special Operations, Temporary Village Guards, Gendarme Intelligence (JITEM-JIT)

M. Bedri Eryilmaz: Private Security, Police Intelligence

Onder Aytac: Media

Concern mounts over freedoms

Previously describing Buyukanit’s remarks on the Almanac as “unfortunate”, TESEV’s Volkan Aytar told bianet in an exclusive interview that the investigation now mounted against its contributors was concerning.

"The opening of an investigation against scientists that have shown the courage and written on an issue such as security which was untouchable breaks ones hopes. It also raises concerned on academic freedoms. There are a minority of experts who work in the field of security in Turkey”.

Aytar also notes that although it evident that articles in the Almanac are personal opinions, the mistaken information given by Gen. Buyukanit in his speech gave the impression that the articles were the institutional view of the Police Academy.

He too accepts that "the Police Academy has had no official contribution to this work” stressing that those who did contribute worked as men of science at the academy.

According to Aytar the reaction to the Almanac stems from it being a new concept particularly with a civilian society organization producing such a work of scientific nature. This, he says, was regarded as out of place. Aytar argues that rather than react to the Almanac people should be proud such a work was produced.

Kardas: Pressure on feedom of epression

One of the writers of the Almanac, retired military judge and prosecutor Umit Kardas, describes the situation as “an attempt to put pressure on the freedom of expression and academic freedom.” Kardas says the academics involved should defend their freedoms and refuse to be censored. “But other academics should also act and provide them with support” he adds.

Having authored the section on "Military Justice" in the Almanac, Kardas told bianet he does not believe this investigation will lead anywhere.

"By creating psychological pressure on this issue, preventing academics to be involved in such work, they are trying to set an example so there won’t be such work” Kardas says. “What they have done is taken on a duty out of Buyukanit’s remarks. They want lecturers of the Police Academy to see themselves not as academics but as policemen and censor themselves”.

“Being debated raises the hair of the TAF”

Kardas believes Buyukanit’s reference to an attrition campaign, a campaign to deteriorate the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) is a reflex reaction. "Legally,” he adds, “the armed forces are attached to the legislative. But in our case the armed forces are those on top.

“What is essential is the monitoring by people of the whole of the security sector from private security to security media. The armed forces are not used to this and because of that, it raises their hair”.

Kardas believes that the TAF does not want to be debated and wants to remain as "I am protecting the order, the regime and state is my responsibility” image. (TK/II

* To download a full Adobe PDF version of the “Security Sector and Democratic Oversight” Almanac please click the relevant links for the Turkish or English language copies.