Korkut Eken (born 1945) is a former
Turkish military
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; tr, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri, TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. Turkish Armed Forces consist of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, General Staff, the Turki ...
officer and
National Intelligence Organization
The National Intelligence Organization ( tr, Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MİT) is the state intelligence agency of Turkey.
Established in 1965 to replace National Security Service, its aim is to gather information about the current and po ...
(MİT) agent. He became involved in the
Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal () was a scandal involving the close relationship among the deep state in Turkey, the Grey Wolves and the Turkish mafia. It took place during the peak of the Kurdish–Turkish conflict, in the mid-1990s. The relationshi ...
in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
after some of his subordinates, notably
Ayhan Çarkın, were convicted of
extrajudicial killing
An extrajudicial killing (also known as extrajudicial execution or extralegal killing) is the deliberate killing of a person without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding. It typically refers to government authorities, whethe ...
s. In 2001, among the first convictions arising from the scandal, Eken was found guilty of establishing and managing a criminal gang with the aim of "creating panic in society" and sentenced to six years in prison.
Career
Eken joined the
Turkish Military Academy
The Turkish Military Academy ( tr, Kara Harp Okulu) is a four-year co-educational military academy and part of the National Defence University. It is located in the center of Ankara, Turkey. Its mission is to develop cadets mentally and ph ...
in 1963. He took part in the
Cyprus landings on 20 July 1974. He joined the
Special Warfare Department
The Special Warfare Department (SWD, tr, Özel Harp Dairesi (ÖHD)) was the special forces unit of the Turkish Army. Founded in 1965, it was formed out of the Army's Tactical Mobilisation Group ( tr, Seferberlik Taktik Kurulu, STK). It was disba ...
( tr, Özel Harp Dairesi) in 1978. He received training in
special warfare
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and
the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. He gained fame in 1981 after he led a raid to rescue a plane seized by
Islamic militants
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term t ...
in
Diyarbakır
Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province.
Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortress, ...
.
Eken was once involved in an ice producing business in
Antalya
Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...
with an MİT colleague called
Mehmet Eymür
Mehmet Eymür (born 1943 in Istanbul) is a retired Turkish intelligence official. In 1995-6 he led the counter-terrorism department of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), which he joined as a student in 1965 as a "pursuit officer" ( tr, ...
; however this partnership ended after five years on acrimonious terms.
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References
External links
*
1945 births
People from Ankara
Turkish Military Academy alumni
Turkish Army officers
Susurluk scandal
Living people
Turkish military personnel of the Cyprus conflicts
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
1974 in Cyprus
Special Warfare Department personnel
{{turkey-bio-stub