Jandarma İstihbarat ve Terörle Mücadele or Jandarma İstihbarat Teşkilatı (abbr. ''JİTEM'' or ''JİT''; English: "Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism" or "Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization") is the intelligence department of the
Turkish Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie General Command () is the national gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdi ...
. JİTEM was active in the
Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Kurdish nationalism, Kurdish nationalist uprisings have periodically occurred in Turkey, beginning with the Turkish War of Independence and the consequent transition from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state and continuing to the pre ...
.
[ After the ]Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
, former prime ministers Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in 197 ...
[ and ]Mesut Yılmaz
Ahmet Mesut Yılmaz () (6 November 1947 – 30 October 2020) was a Turkish politician. He was the leader of the Motherland Party (, ANAP) from 1991 to 2002, and served three times as Prime Minister of Turkey. His first two prime-ministerial term ...
[ have confirmed the existence of JİTEM.
According to Murat Belge of ]Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul Bilgi University () is a private university founded in 1996, located in Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Turkey. The university has four campuses in Istanbul: SantralIstanbul, Kuştepe, Dolapdere, and Kozyatağı.
History
The university was ...
, who has reported that he was tortured in 1971 by its founder, Veli Küçük,[ JİTEM is an embodiment of the ]deep state
Deep state is a term used for (real or imagined) potential, unauthorized and often secret networks of power operating independently of a State (polity), state's political leadership in pursuit of their own agendas and goals.
Although the term ori ...
. In other words, it is used by "the Establishment" to enforce alleged national interests. It is also said to be the military wing of Ergenekon, an underground Turkish nationalist
Turkish nationalism () is nationalism among the people of Turkey and individuals whose national identity is Turkish people, Turkish. Turkish nationalism consists of political and social movements and sentiments prompted by a love for Turkish cu ...
organization. In 2008, long-maintained official denials of JİTEM's existence started collapsing in the courts, as ex-members of Turkey's "deep state" security apparatus testify to their participation in covert and illegal activities over the last few decades as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.
History
Background
The unit was officially founded in 2005, but its unofficial history goes back to the 1980s. Its roots lie further back with the Counter-Guerrilla
Counter-Guerrilla () is a Turkish branch of Operation Gladio, a clandestine stay-behind Anti-communism, anti-communist initiative backed by the United States as an expression of the Truman Doctrine. The founding goal of the operation was to erect ...
: JİTEM used Counter-Guerrilla methods and possibly equipment, and key figures had been involved with the Counter-Guerrilla. For example, Murat Belge of Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul Bilgi University () is a private university founded in 1996, located in Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Turkey. The university has four campuses in Istanbul: SantralIstanbul, Kuştepe, Dolapdere, and Kozyatağı.
History
The university was ...
says he was tortured in 1971 by a key JİTEM figure, Veli Küçük.
Unofficial (1980s–2005)
JİTEM was active in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Kurdish nationalism, Kurdish nationalist uprisings have periodically occurred in Turkey, beginning with the Turkish War of Independence and the consequent transition from the Ottoman Empire to the modern Turkish state and continuing to the pre ...
.[Alt URL]
/ref>
It has repeatedly been claimed that JİTEM was dissolved. One of the first was Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz. He stated on 22 January 1998 on the ''Arena'' program on Kanal D
Kanal D (English: Channel D) is a nationwide television channel in Turkey that is part of Demirören Group. It was founded by Ayhan Şahenk and Aydın Doğan in 1993.
The network has also run an international channel, Euro D, since 1996, whic ...
hosted by Uğur Dündar
Uğur Dündar (born 28 August 1943) is a Turkish journalist, anchorman, political commentator, and writer.
He was born in Akören village of Silivri district in Istanbul Province. He graduated from Istanbul University's Institute of Journalism. ...
that JİTEM did not exist any longer.[ When İsmail Hakkı Karadayı assumed the role of chief of general staff, (30 August 1994 – 30 August 1998), news stating the dissolution of JİTEM were leaked to the press. The last declaration about JİTEM's dissolution came in 2004 from the former Commander of the Gendarmerie in the State of Emergency Region (Olağanüstü Hal, OHAL), retired Lieutenant- General Altay Tokat. Tokat stated in his interview with the newspaper ''Zaman'' that JİTEM was a “public disclosure of an intelligence unit that fought against the PKK in the OHAL region” and that it had “fulfilled its role and was dissolved".
The former chair of Diyarbakır Bar Association, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, however claims that JİTEM was not dissolved, but the cadres were not active at the moment.
]
Official (2005–present)
JİTEM was made a legal entity through Article 5 of the Law 2803 on the Establishment, Duties and Jurisdiction of Gendarmerie[ and Article 4 of the Law Concerning the Transfer of Our Borders, Coasts and Territorial Waters' Protection and Anti-Smuggling Activities to the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 6815.][
The gendarmerie intelligence, previously known as JİTEM or JİT, finally gained legal status with the Law Concerning Amendments to Some Laws No. 5397, accepted on 3 July 2005, effective since 23 July 2005 thus becoming the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department within the General Command of Gendarmerie. This law authorised the gendarmerie to carry out technical stakeouts.][
]
Investigation history
1993–1996
The first person to write about JİTEM was journalist Ayşe Önal for the '' Ateş'' newspaper on 2 July 1994. Önal had learned about it from Veli Küçük after being introduced to him through MIT spy and fellow journalist, Tuncay Güney. Önal and Küçük's meeting did not go well, and Önal vowed to write about it. She followed through, and was promptly fired, along with nineteen of her coworkers.
Findings about JİTEM and Ersever were also published by researchers and journalists.[ One of the first and most detailed of these was by Soner Yalçın. Yalçın managed to interview Cem Ersever, subsequently publishing the interviews in his book ''Binbaşı Ersever'in İtirafları'' ("Confessions of Major Ersever").][
]
Susurluk scandal
JİTEM was subjected to parliamentary scrutiny during the Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
, when commanders in the Gendarmerie repeatedly denied the existence of an overarching intelligence organization within the Gendarmerie.[ Susurluk commission member Fikri Sağlar said that the commanders denied its existence because the Gendarmerie formally acquired the legal capacity to conduct intelligence operations in 2005 (with Law 5397). The author of the Prime Ministry Inspection Board report, Kutlu Savaş, said JİTEM was created on Gendarmerie Commander Hulusi Sayın's watch (1981–1985). The Parliamentary Investigation Committee's report on Unsolved Political Murders in Various Regions of Our Country (10/90) dated 12 October 1995 and the summary by Istanbul National Security Court General Prosecutor dated 30 January 1997 are also worthy of consideration.][The article INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES OF THE GENDARMERIE CORPS (JİTEM & JİT) by Ertan Beşe, Assistant Professor, Police Academy, Faculty of Security Sciences can be found in the ALMANAC TURKEY 2005: SECURITY SECTOR AND DEMOCRATIC OVERSIGHT (DCAF) - TESEV (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) SERIES IN SECURITY SECTOR STUDIES, ALMANAC TURKEY 2005,]
Link to the pdf-file
pages 172-189
Investigations into the 1996 Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
revealed some role for JİTEM. Former prime ministers Bülent Ecevit
Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in 197 ...
,[ (archived fro]
the original
2009-02-05), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-Guerrilla Affairs", p.39-86 (see quotation on p.40): "It seems that some illegal methods were employed within the state during the anti-terrorist struggle. In the report, some military people are mentioned, but the report implies that the army as a whole was not involved in such affairs. I am glad to hear that. If the army had been involved in such affairs, it would have been highly difficult for us to solve the problem. On the other hand, the situation of the Gendarmerie is a bit complex because its affiliation is to both the army and the Ministry of Interior Affairs. That's an outcome of the report. JİTEM seems corrupted." and Mesut Yılmaz
Ahmet Mesut Yılmaz () (6 November 1947 – 30 October 2020) was a Turkish politician. He was the leader of the Motherland Party (, ANAP) from 1991 to 2002, and served three times as Prime Minister of Turkey. His first two prime-ministerial term ...
[, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-guerilla Affairs", p.46: The report prepared by Prime Ministry Inspection Board Deputy Chairman Kutlu Savaş mentioned JİTEM as involved in gang activities. However, JİTEM is among the "state secrets" of Prime Minister ]Mesut Yılmaz
Ahmet Mesut Yılmaz () (6 November 1947 – 30 October 2020) was a Turkish politician. He was the leader of the Motherland Party (, ANAP) from 1991 to 2002, and served three times as Prime Minister of Turkey. His first two prime-ministerial term ...
. Yılmaz accepted the existence of JİTEM but argued that "military officials were not involved and they intervened when they learned about it." Yılmaz carefully tried to relieve military officials, the Gendarmerie's former Commander General Teoman Koman from responsibility. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit said, "JİTEM is mentioned in the report. However, the Gendarmerie and JİTEM are not equal to the army." accepted the existence of JİTEM.
Seven months after the release of the Susurluk Report, a book entitled: ''Cem Ersever ve JİTEM Gerçeği'' ("Cem Ersever and the JİTEM Fact"), written by journalist Çetin Ağaşe, a friend of the Ersever family, was published. The appendix of the book contains documents such as the 1994 phone directory of the General Command of Gendarmerie, which contained the numbers of the JİTEM Group Commander and JİTEM units in each city.[ This was further proof of JİTEM's official existence and of Ersever's position within the chain of command.
]
Abdülkadir Aygan
Revelations have recently come from an informant named Abdülkadir Aygan (a former PKK member recruited by JİTEM, now a political refugee
The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, such as a second country or another enti ...
in Sweden[Okkan assassination linked to JİTEM]
''Today's Zaman
''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...
'', 27 August 2008) that it was founded by retired general Veli Küçük, who is currently arrested in the Ergenekon investigations. Other people allegedly involved in its founding are Ahmet Cem Ersever, Arif Doğan
Arif Doğan (born Kırıkhan, Hatay Province, 1945 – 17 October 2014) was a commander in the Turkish Gendarmerie, and said to be one of the founders of the Gendarmerie's JITEM intelligence unit. He was a defendant in the Ergenekon trials, and ...
, Hasan Kundakçı, Hüseyin Kara, Hulusi Sayın and Aytekin Özen, according to Aygan. Küçük confirmed Aygan's allegations about his cofounding the organization.
Arif Doğan
After being taken into custody, Arif Doğan
Arif Doğan (born Kırıkhan, Hatay Province, 1945 – 17 October 2014) was a commander in the Turkish Gendarmerie, and said to be one of the founders of the Gendarmerie's JITEM intelligence unit. He was a defendant in the Ergenekon trials, and ...
admitted to being a founder of the organization, originally known as the Intelligence Group Command (), and that in 1990 he handed the reins to Veli Küçük. In 2005 he had denied the very existence of such an organization. After his release from prison Arif Doğan spoke to journalists of the news channel Habertürk TV
Habertürk TV is a Turkish nationwide TV channel established in 2001 by journalist Ufuk Güldemir. Since 2007, it has been owned by the Ciner Media Group. In 2009, Ciner created the ''Habertürk'' newspaper, drawing on Habertürk TV's brand. ...
in September 2010 and said that he alone had founded JİTEM and had "frozen" it in 1990.['']Habertürk
''Habertürk'' (), abbreviated as ''HT'', was a high-circulation Turkish newspaper. It was established on 1 March 2009 by Ciner Media Group, drawing on the brand of Ciner's Habertürk TV. It ceased publication on 5 July 2018.
The newspaper s ...
'', 26 September 2010
'JİTEM'i ben kurdum, ben dondurdum'
accessed on 27 September 2010 Concerning the structure of JİTEM Colonel Arif Doğan said: "''My staff was 10,000, including 620 women. They participated in operations and got 3,000 Lira for each head''."[
According to figures of the Justice Ministry about 1,950 PKK militants became confessors after arrest.][See th]
article in Haber Vitrin of 9 February 2009
; accessed on 27 September 2010 Unofficial figures put the number of confessors that were used and paid in the fight against the PKK at 500.[
]
Modus operandi
Among the alleged members are ex-PKK-operatives (), besides non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
s and a few officers of the Gendarmerie. While Aygan listed several units as part of JİTEM such as the Gendarmerie General Command, the Intelligence Command, the Joint Group Command, the Regional Group Commands (of which there are seven), the Team Commands and small clandestine cells the lawyer Tahir Elçi, who is acting on behalf of victims of JİTEM said:
"It is not possible to completely know the organizational structure of JİTEM; but it is understood that it was organized within the Gendarmerie, the centre being in Ankara and having group commands mostly in the South-East within the Regimental Commands of the provinces. They took their orders from the centre in Ankara and conducted three folded activities: gather intelligence, interrogate and carry out operations."
JİTEM carried out its activities using the "staff system" (''eleman sistemi'') and technical stakeout approaches. The information gathered was analysed, became intelligence and submitted to the Intelligence Group Command. Every report was assembled by the Intelligence Group Command and operation teams were dispatched accordingly.[
]
Actions
Fight against PKK
JİTEM was founded to counter the guerilla tactics of the PKK, but its units never directly clashed with armed groups of the PKK in the rural areas. They made use of PKK confessors ('' itirafçı'') to kill PKK adherents, raid villages in guerilla dressing, detain, torture or make people "disappear". Intelligence units did not have the necessary mechanisms in place to fight the PKK in open country. The inefficiency in the intelligence network made it impossible for land forces to perform specific operations, to prevent terror raids and to develop a strategy against PKK front activities.[
The spokesperson of the Movement of Kurdish Democrats Ahmet Acar alleged that JİTEM fomented infighting in the PKK, while ensuring the perpetuation of both of the PKK, and by extension, itself. Kurdish-Turkish politician ]Abdülmelik Fırat
Abdülmelik Fırat (1934, Hınıs – 29 September 2009, Ankara) was a prominent Turkish-Kurds, Kurdish politician. He was the grandson of Sheikh Said, leader of the 1925 Sheikh Said rebellion.
Early life and education
His grandfather Sheikh S ...
maintained that JİTEM is connected to the PKK, while fighting it at the same time.
Political killings
Numerous people who claim to be or are purported to be JİTEM operatives have been accused of crimes such as kidnapping
Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...
, intimidation
Intimidation is a behaviour and legal wrong which usually involves deterring or coercing an individual by threat of violence. It is in various jurisdictions a crime and a civil wrong (tort). Intimidation is similar to menacing, coercion, terro ...
, and extra-judicial killings of PKK members. Former JİTEM operative Aygan estimated that 80% of these killings were done by JİTEM.[ JİTEM interrogators are especially brutal since they belong to an organization that ostensibly does not exist, and hence they are not accountable. Aygan says that detainees are invariably killed.][ He provided about 30 names of victims.][
Tuncay Güney, a former spy for the ]National Intelligence Organization
loction 39°54'25.0"N 32°39'59.3"E
The National Intelligence Organization (), also known by its Turkish language, Turkish initials MIT or MİT, or colloquially as the Organization (), is an intelligence agency of the Turkish government tasked ...
who infiltrated JİTEM, alleged that Veli Küçük's men, working for JİTEM, killed people using acid and buried the corpses in wells belonging to the state-owned Turkish Pipeline Corporation, BOTAŞ. Some have responded to the Şırnak Bar's request for witnesses and families of victims to step forward. Ergenekon defendant Levent Ersöz has also been named in connection with the incidents, in Silopi.
There are no clear figures on the number of political killings in South-East Anatolia. According to intelligence units, 1550 unsolved murders were committed between 1990 and 2000 although the PKK claims that the accurate number exceeds 2000.[ The Human Rights Association estimates that between 1989 and 2008 JİTEM was involved in 5000 unsolved killings of journalists, human rights defenders, intellectuals and political activists and was responsible for 1,500 cases of "disappearances". Former chair of Diyarbakır Bar Association Sezgin Tanrıkulu put the figures above 4,000, close to 5,000. He stated that one JİTEM operative, Ibrahim Babat, alone had been charged with 61 killings. In a documentary by Mehmet Hatman the figure of 4653 unsolved political killings between 1991 and 2000 was mentioned.
]
High profile killings
Some murders received a lot of press coverage.
Vedat Aydın
Vedat Aydın
Vedat Aydın (19537July 1991) was a Kurdish politician in Turkey and human rights defender. He was married to Sükran Aydın.
Early life and education
He was born in 1953 in the village of Kazancı in Bismil District of Diyarbakir Province. ...
, the Diyarbakır branch chairman of the now-defunct People's Labor Party
The People's Labour Party (, HEP), sometimes translated as the People's Work Party, was a pro- Kurdish political party in Turkey.
History
It was founded on 7 June 1990 by seven members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly expelled from the ...
(HEP), was found dead on a road near Malatya on 7 July 1991, two days after armed men had taken him from his home in Diyarbakir. The widow Sükran Aydın thinks her husband's murder was a turning point and that there was a sudden increase in the number of unsolved murders in the country's Southeast following his death. She believes that a clandestine unit within the gendarmerie was responsible for the murder. Only 18 years after the killing the public prosecutor in Diyarbakir opened a file seeking the detention of nine JİTEM members including the Major Aytekin Özen.
Musa Anter
Aygan said he had been part of a unit, alongside Cem Ersever and Arif Doğan, which had assassinated 72-year-old Kurdish writer Musa Anter
Musa Anter (1920 – 20 September 1992), also known as "Apê Musa" (, literally "Uncle Musa"), was a Kurdish writer, journalist and intellectual. Anter was assassinated by Turkish JITEM in September 1992.
Early life and education
He was born i ...
in 1992 in Diyarbakır. Turkey was found guilty of this murder in 2006 by the European Convention on Human Rights
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is a Supranational law, supranational convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Draf ...
, which fined Turkey for 28,500 euros.[
]
Ahmet Cem Ersever
Former JİTEM commander Cem Ersever was assassinated in November 1993.[Ergenekon indictment reopens gendarmerie major's murder case]
, ''Today's Zaman
''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...
'', 13 August 2008.
Aygan alleges that Arif Doğan and Veli Küçük's superiors in Ankara ordered the assassination in order to take control of JİTEM from Ersever.[
]
Drugs and weapons trafficking
JİTEM's chief, Arif Doğan
Arif Doğan (born Kırıkhan, Hatay Province, 1945 – 17 October 2014) was a commander in the Turkish Gendarmerie, and said to be one of the founders of the Gendarmerie's JITEM intelligence unit. He was a defendant in the Ergenekon trials, and ...
, was tried in the frame of the Yüksekova Gang (aka "the gang with uniforms"). According to ''Today's Zaman
''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...
'', the "Yüksekova Gang was an illegal organization formed in the Yüksekova district of Hakkari, headed by three high-ranking military personnel and various politicians that smuggled drugs and weapons."[Duvakli, Melik]
JİTEM's illegal actions cost Turkey a fortune
, ''Today's Zaman
''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...
'', 27 August 2008. Its activities were first revealed in 1996, in the aftermath of the Susurluk scandal
The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
. Its activities "are only one part of the JİTEM activities" that have been sent to the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...
(ECHR). All of the local court prison sentences concerning the Yüksekova Gang were cancelled by the High Court of Appeals of Turkey, leading the ECHR to fine Turkey 103,000 Euro for its decisions about the Yüksekova Gang.[
Relying on a document as an attachment to the indictment in the Ergenekon case Fırat News Agency presented background on smuggling of JİTEM staff between 1981 and 1990. Details were mentioned on arms trafficking, drug smuggling, and cross border trafficking of electronic devices.
]
Court cases with JİTEM involvement
İlhan Cihaner
İlhan Cihaner (born 23 February 1968, Kağızman), is a Turkish people, Turkish leftist politician and a former prosecutor. He's a parliamentary deputy for the Republican People's Party (CHP) since 2011. He was the Chief Public Prosecutor of Erz ...
, prosecutor in İdil (Şırnak province) was the first to point at JİTEM in an indictment of 1997. He held the defendants including civil servants, '' İtirafçı'' confessors and others responsible for killings, bombings and "disappearances". Defendant No. 1 was Ahmet Cem Ersever
Ahmet Cem Ersever (1950 – 4 November 1993) was a commander in the Turkish Gendarmerie, and said to be one of the founders of the Gendarmerie's JITEM intelligence unit. He was assassinated in November 1993.) (1993), ''Kürtler, PKK ve A. Öcala ...
and defendant No. 2 was Arif Doğan
Arif Doğan (born Kırıkhan, Hatay Province, 1945 – 17 October 2014) was a commander in the Turkish Gendarmerie, and said to be one of the founders of the Gendarmerie's JITEM intelligence unit. He was a defendant in the Ergenekon trials, and ...
.
An indictment prepared by Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor Mithat Özcan dated 29 March 2005 charged eight PKK ''İtirafçı'' confessors, namely Mahmut Yıldırım (aka Yeşil), Abdülkadir Aygan, Muhsin Gül, Fethi Çetin, Kemal Emlük, Saniye Emlük, Yüksel Uğur and Abdülkerim Kırca.[ These people were suspected of being JİTEM members and were charged with eight unsolved murders, namely the murders of Harbi Arman, Lokman Zuğurli, Zana Zuğurli, Servet Aslan, Şahabettin Latifeci, Ahmet Ceylan, Mehmet Sıddık Etyemez and Abdülkadir Çelikbilek between the years 1992–1994. The case was transferred to a military court.][ The court case went through different stages. In September 2010 the number of defendants had risen to 15. During the hearing at Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No. 6 of 3 September 2010 the defendants Ali Ozansoy and Adil Timurtaş (both confessors) were present for the first time. Earlier the Ministry of Interior had refused to inform the Court of the new names of the defendants.
Mehmet Şerif Avşar was abducted in Diyarbakir on 22 April 1994 and two weeks later found dead. The kidnappers, PKK confessor Mesut Mehmetoğlu and village guards hid in a building reportedly belonging to JİTEM. On 20 March 2001 six defendants were convicted for their involvement in the killing. The case was raised with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The court found a violation of Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Abdülkadir Aygan is one of the 11 or 12 defendants charged with having killed Hacı Ahmet Zeyrek (in Silopi 1989), JİTEM staff member Mehmet Bayar (25 June 1990) and Tahsin Sevim, Hasan Utanç and Hasan Caner on 16 September 1989. A criminal court in Diyarbakır ruled in 2006 that the defendants were military personnel and should be tried in a military court.]
According to the report of Kutlu Savaş PKK ''İtirafçı'' confessor Hayrettin Toka had been involved in many killings of JİTEM. He was apprehended in Karamürsel in December 2005 and taken to Diyarbakir. A judge released him on 16 January 2006. In his testimony Toka stated that he had been imprisoned for 12.5 years.
Şırnak death well trials: on 11 September 2009 Diyarbakır Heavy Penal Court No. 6 started to hear the case of 7 defendants charged with 20 killings that had been committed between 1993 and 1995 when Colonel Cemil Temizöz had been the commander of Cizre Gendarmerie Station in Şırnak province, Cizre district. On 17 September 2010 the 18th hearing was held.[Details on hearings in this case can be found in th]
daily reports of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey
backed up by the Democratic Turkey Forum; the relevant dates are:
03-05.04.2010, 08-10.05.2010, 05-07.06.2010, 15.06.2010, 10-12.07.2010 and 07-09.08.2010
The 2005 Şemdinli incident involved Gendarmerie intelligence personnel and alleged links to JİTEM. Three men were sentenced to 39 years for murder in a grenade attack.
References
Further reading
* Özel tim-Özel Harekat Timi (Special Team)
*
* Ecevit Kılıç (2011), ''Jitem: Türkiye'nin Faili Meçhul Tarihi'', Timaş Yayınları
External links
Two series of articles in pro-Kurdish newspapers:
* JİTEMciler konuşuyor
1
2
3
4
5
6
ead links* JİTEM'i deşifre ediyoruz
1
2
3
4
ead links
{{DEFAULTSORT:JITEM
Military counterterrorist organizations
Gendarmerie (Turkey)
Political controversies in Turkey
Turkish intelligence agencies
Gendarmerie units and formations