Turkey can face coup d'etat before November, U.S. analyst says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey is speculating about U.S. ties with Ergenekon, said Zeyno Baran, Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute.



"The U.S. is concerned whether Turkey will further liberal democracy or will take up a regime like that in Iran or Russia," she said. "Anti-liberal and anti-democratic attitude of mind prevails not only among the public but also among the political elite of the country. The Ergenekon case is a manifestation of this undesirable tendency."



The likelihood for a coup in Turkey before the presidential election in the U.S. is 50-50, according to her, Sabah Turkish daily reports.



Ergenekon is a clandestine ultra-nationalist organization in Turkey with ties to the country's military and security apparatus.



It has been plotting to foment unrest in Turkey, inter alia by assassinating intellectuals, politicians, judges, military staff, religious leaders, and other public figures including Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk, with the ultimate goal of toppling the present government. The coup was planned to take place in 2009.



86 people, including important personalities from the army, business and the secular press, have been charged with conspiracy as of 14 July 2008. Those arrested have included nationalist lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz; the leader of the neo-nationalist Workers' Party Dogu Perincek; retired brigadier general Veli Kucuk, retired full general Hursit Tolon, and retired full general Sener Eruygur. Ilhan Selcuk, a staunchly secular columnist at Cumhuriyet's daily, has also been indicted on charges of being the civilian leader of Ergenekon.



More than 40 are under arrest, and suspects will start appearing before the court on October 20, 2008.