Ex-jurist confesses FETO sway over courts

ANKARA

In a detailed confession, an ex-member of Turkey's Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) Tuesday told of FETO's involvement in the Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office, according to a judicial source.

Kerim Tosun, who was remanded in custody under a FETO probe but released last Saturday, confessed FETO infiltration of decision-making mechanisms, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

“I started working at the Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office in 2001, and there were 25 Fetullah Terrorist Organization [FETO] members in the office back then," Tosun said in his confession.

“I know that in 2010, around 120 of the 160 appointed Supreme Court members were FETO members," he said.

“In 2014, ex-Supreme Court member Nazmi Dere and ex-Supreme Court Secretary General Aydin Bosgelmez told me to run for a spot on the Supreme Board of Judges. I accepted that because I knew the order came from the ‘cemaat’ [FETO terrorist organization]," he added.

“Ex-Supreme Court Secretary General Mehmet Kaya got together with 20 FETO members before the 2010 HSYK elections. Kaya said at the meeting that if the Judges and Prosecutors Union candidate won the election, it would not be good for the ‘cemaat’ [FETO] and so the cemaat’s [FETO] candidate should win.”

Tosun said all the permanent members elected in the 2010 elections were close to FETO.

'FETO decided who served in each penal chamber'

Tosun said FETO ordered who would serve in each penal chamber, and thus infiltrated several decision-making chambers.

“With orders from FETO, it was decided who would serve in each penal chamber. After they decided, in the 4th and 18th Civil Chambers and in the 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 14th, and 15th Penal Chambers, FETO members were appointed," Tosun said.

"I can say these chambers were important to FETO. Afterwards they directed cases to those chambers. You can see that there are not many FETO members in the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th penal chambers," he added.

'FETO changed conditions on the Supreme Court'

Tosun said FETO members mostly became Supreme Court members after 2011 and shortened the term from five years to three, with a legislative proposal to make members then become a head of a penal chamber.

FETO, led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, is accused of orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup plot as well as being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

The defeated July 15 coup left 246 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

*Reporting by Serdar Acil and Baris Kilic; Writing by Satuk Bugra Kutlugun