Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

Turkey Fidan admitted MİT faction executed 3 PKK women in Paris, KCK head claims

By

n_71523_1Cemil Bayık, the head of the Kurdistan Communities’ Union (KCK), has reportedly said that Hakan Fidan, head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), admitted that a group within the intelligence body was responsible for the execution of three Kurdish women linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Paris in 2013.

In an interview published on Sunday in the Cumhuriyet daily, Bayık, who is also the “number two” man in the outlawed PKK, claimed that the Paris murders were committed by a faction consisting of ultranationalists and members of the “parallel state,” in reference to the Gülen movement, also known as Hizmet movement, within MİT, adding, “But he [Fidan] is the head of MİT, and it is impossible to think he is not aware of the assassinations.”

Three Kurdish women, Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Söylemez, were found dead with gunshot wounds at a Kurdish information center in Paris in January 2013. The killing of the PKK-linked women is yet to be solved.

When asked whether MİT executed key members of the PKK while it was involved in the talks with the group, Bayık, who clearly expressed his lack of confidence in Fidan’s argument that he was not aware of the killings, stated that besides MİT, other international actors took part in the murders to interrupt the Kurdish settlement process. The talks were initiated in 2011 in order to seek a solution to the country’s decades-long Kurdish problem, which cost nearly 40,000 lives.

Continuing his argument that MİT is aware of the killing, Bayık went on to say, “Any information on this issue was tampered with, but those perpetrators are clear from our point of view.”

Öcalan to issue letter for Nevruz

While a heated debate continues as to whether jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan will send a video message to the people for the approaching Nevruz celebrations, which would be expected to contribute to the establishment of peace in the country, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder has said that Öcalan will issue a letter instead of a video message.

As such a potential Nevruz message would be expected to have a positive impact on the ongoing peace talks, Önder, who visited Öcalan with a delegation of HDP deputies on Saturday, stressed that the letter that Öcalan is currently composing will include extensive reviews regarding the settlement process.

“In his letter, Öcalan is preparing to share his ideas with the Turkish people and world public regarding concrete steps for solution of the Kurdish problem. The letter will include the main principles of the path to the peace,” Önder noted.

Source: todayzaman

Columnist Uslu denies he is whistleblower Fuat Avni, says claim is attempt to cover up gov’t failure

By

Columnist Emre Uslu. (Photo: Cihan)

Columnist Emre Uslu. (Photo: Cihan)

US-based Turkish journalist Emre Uslu has categorically denied claims made by pro-government newspapers suggesting that he is responsible for a Twitter account that reveals inside information about the Turkish government, saying those making such claims know that they are false and are merely trying to cover up the government’s failure to find the real party behind the account.

On Monday the Sabah, Star and Güneş dailies, known to have close ties with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government, ran a story on their front pages headlined “Here is Fuat Avni” above a photo of Uslu. Fuat Avni is the name on the whistleblower Twitter account, which discloses plans for government operations as well as other information about the inner workings of the government. The dailies alleged that Uslu gathers and reports intelligence gleaned from police officers and others in exchange for money and promises of promotions. They also published conversations that allegedly took place using Twitter’s direct messaging service between Fuat Avni and police officers.

In a statement on his website, e.uslu.com, the Today’s Zaman and Taraf columnist said he knows that direct messages on Twitter are monitored in Turkey and added that he has even mentioned this fact to his followers when he contacts them via direct message.

He also referenced earlier reports in pro-government dailies claiming that he was managing the Fuat Avni account and indicated that he is suing those dailies.

Uslu underlined that he is sure that those making these claims also know very well that he is not behind the Fuat Avni account. Uslu assessed the reports as being a reflection of the government’s anger with him.

The journalist suggested that his coverage of the failures of former National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head Hakan Fidan — who recently resigned to run for Parliament — may have enflamed government anger with him. He added that government circles are trying to defame him because of what they claim are efforts to prevent Fidan from becoming the next prime minister in his writing.

The second possibility for the allegations, Uslu said, is to prevent criticism from being aimed at Fidan for failing to find the real person behind the account — especially since general elections are slated to be held on June 7 and Fidan is planning to run for Parliament on the ruling party ticket.

“I think the most reasonable scenario is this: The undersecretary of MİT not finding out who Fuat Avni is remains a big failure in his career. [So] they ‘found’ a Fuat Avni so that the he would not enter politics as an undersecretary who failed to reveal him,” Uslu said, adding that Fidan will probably start making TV appearances to talk about how he “found” the person managing the account.

Sabah said in its Monday report that police officers told Uslu on Feb. 12, 2014 that they were preparing to launch an operation against the Zaman daily, apparently suggesting that Uslu then transmitted that information via the Avni Twitter account. However, Fuat Avni made no mention of such an operation at that time and no such operation took place, calling the report’s suppositions into question. Some 10 months later, in mid-December, Avni did announce that an operation would take place targeting Zaman. Police conducted an operation and detained the Zaman daily’s editor-on-chief, as well as others, on Dec. 14, 2014.