Ninety minutes with Hanefi Avcı

29.08.2010 Vatan
Translated by: Daily News / www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ninety-minutes-with-hanefi-avci.aspx?pageID=438&n=ninety-minutes-with-hanefi-avci-2010-08-29
Orjinal Metin (tr-8/27/2010)

If Avcı begins to reveal some documents that he claims to have in hand, things might get tense.
I’ve known Hanefi Avcı since the early 2000s. We had a chat in the province of Eskişehir a few months ago. I knew about his concerns and complaints but he didn’t tell me that he was writing a book. So, I was surprised by the news about his book. But what is a real surprise to me is the media’s lack of interest in the book. On the first day, the reaction of media groups close to the government and the Gülen Movement, which Avcı accuses, was understandable to a point. However, other newspaper groups and TVs were far from paying any attention. That was really surprising, or rather daunting. Forget about what Avcı says, but a book written by an outspoken police chief in office is simply a news story for us. As a friend of mine put, if that had happened a decade ago, we journalists could’ve waited at his doorstep.
Anyways, as I prepared a series on an analysis of this book, I remembered that Avcı had appeared on the “32. Gün” (the 32nd Day) program, prepared by Mehmet Ali Birand, during the Susurluk incident. So, I said “Why not?” After having NTV’s approval, I called him and asked whether or not he could show up for a live broadcast. After Avcı told me that he was pleased but had to appear on a different program on some other channel, I had a rude awakening. But still I said, “Just keep it in mind.”
The next day, he called me and said the other channel had a change of heart. We made an appointment for two days later, on Thursday at 11:10, on NTV’s “Yazı İşleri” (Editorial Office) program and we ran a 90 minute program together.

The right to answer
Together with Mirgün Cabas, we decided to build the program on two concepts: 1) The content of the book and 2) Avcı’s answer to media criticisms. I am aware that most of the criticisms heavily relied on excuses. But such verbal attacks intentionally in the media give him a right to answer the criticisms. I believe we allowed Avcı express himself. Most of his critics said that they knew him but that the book didn’t suit him. According to them, the spirited police chief of the Feb. 28 period was angry for personal reasons and dragged in Ergenekon for revenge. However, those who know Avcı closely are perfectly aware that he wouldn’t do anything because of his rage or ambitions, as he was in the Feb. 28 period. I believe during our program his experiences and the experiences of his close circles were quite impressive, but it seemed clear that he wrote this book as a result of a sense of general responsibility.
We have a difference of opinions with Avcı on many issues, including the Ergenekon crime gang case and the Hrant Dink murder, and I will focus on them in the upcoming parts of the series. But I think his words: “I was with conservatives yesterday because they are under pressure. Today, they are applying pressure so I stand against them,” are quite meaningful and critical. Readers of his book and watchers of our program clearly saw that he has nothing to do with Ergenekon. For this reason, if some Ergenekon-like circles and individuals are trying to create a new Nurettin Veren from Avcı, their efforts are useless. Veren, as is very well known, was close to Fethullah Gülen, founder of the Gülen Movement which Avcı accuses in the book, and he probably left the movement or personal reasons. Veren was partly listened to for the information he revealed on his departure. But then he was all forgotten for not being sincere. On the other hand, Avcı, who always had good relations with the movement yet remained at a distance, is not a “repentant” like Veren. Avcı is an observer with a quite different starting point. He is criticizing the system and targeting the Gülen Movement in this direction. So, it is not, and will not be, easy to devalue what Avcı says.
Some circles believe, or want to believe, Avcı wrote this book in coordination with the government. But he said it is not true and I believe him. Besides, I think the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is disturbed by the coincidence that the book was published during the referendum campaign. So they have wanted to find a catch in it. Just for this reason even the government will not answer his calls. But the enormous attention paid to his book will not allow the government to remain reluctant. Especially if Avcı begins to reveal some documents that he claims to have in hand, things might get tense. For instance, the person who is claimed to be the movement member in charge of the Security Department has not come to the fore and denied these allegations.
Lastly, I want to mention the torture I asked him about. As I said during the program, the biggest missing part in this book is the torture issue. He did not talk about it at all. But in the first years of his professional life, torture was quite widespread, as I personally witnessed and experienced. I told this to Avcı before the program and he confessed that torture was almost the only tool the state used as an interrogation method until 1999. So, I expect a new book on torture from him. I hope Avcı will break the chain and reveal the fact of torture not only through the aggrieved but through some other first-degree witnesses.
Let me end my article with his last remarks during the program:
“Today in Turkey, no one, including me, is sure that they will not be slandered. Everyone should be safe, but this is missing in Turkey. Everyone should be able to say ‘There is justice in Turkey and I will safe no matter what.’ No one, including me, thinks that way. Everyone is preoccupied with ‘what if I become a victim of a setup’.”
That’s true…

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