This post is about one of the biggest crimes committed in the name of justice. Dani Rodik (a professor of international political economy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government) wrote a piece on the Washington Post about the details, Turkey’s miscarriage of justice.
I wrote earlier about who Cenk Kursuncu was, the son of Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Suleyman Namik Kursuncu. Lieutenant Colonel Kursuncu was sentenced to 16 years in prison with the court ruling in Balyoz (a.k.a. Sledgehammer) case that is based on fabricated evidence. We all hope that he can be saved from this injustice in the earliest and reunites his 11-year-old son, Cenk with his father.
Today, one of Turkish news sites, OdaTV.com, published a letter from the father Kursuncu, in which he expressed the facts about the Sledgehammer trials, “Suleyman Namik: Evlatlariniza sarildiğinizda bizi unutmayin” (i.e., Suleyman Namik: Do not forget us when you hug your child). The last paragraph ends with the following heartbreaking words:
“… every time you hug your child and loved ones, remember the Sledgehammer convicts (!) who are paying the unjust price for a revenge of the past. Please do not forget us…”
I find it as a responsibility to post this letter here on my blog, which I dedicated to the fight against this dark force stumbling upon my country. This letter must be read to stop the pain and the injustice caused, must be read many times.
–ccc
— the letter starts here —
I am Air Force Pilot Lieutenant Colonel Suleyman Namik Kursuncu. Until the day I was arrested on July 8th, 2012 I was serving in the turkish Military forces as a combat-ready F16 pilot. With the verdict of the 10th Criminal Court in Istanbul (once a “special-authority” court), first I was sentenced to life in prison, which later was reduced to 16 years. The charge against me was being a “flying guardian”. Let me explain it briefly. The court established a conclusion based on digitally fabricated evidence that I was to provide air control of the Fenerbahce soccer stadium during the alleged martial law. This evidence was last saved (on the computer) by a user named GSALKAYA. The court decided that this user was (Ms.) Gullu Salkaya. When I was trying to defend against this accusation (the air control task that was never carried out in the world and that has no example in the aviation history) I remember asking “What am I guilty of, being a flying guardian?”. The Turkish Air Force presented the court with an expert report stating that such a task was illogical and impossible to successfully carry out. The report also emphasized that during such a task the Fenerbahce Stadium would be visible for only one second “from the reverse” while the F16 was flying with a speed of 650 kph. The court “that is an expert on aviation and space” disregarded this report and stated that I was a flying guardian. I believe they arrived at the verdict thinking that 16 years would be more appropriate for a F16 pilot. I send it to God’s way as to how and why the judges sentenced (Ms.) Gullu Salkaya with the same punishment, I am sure only God can judge their conscience in doing this.
IF EVERY WAY IS JUST FOR REVENGE, DO NOT FORGET THAT THERE IS NO PERFECT CRIME
The ones who defend the verdict of the Sledgehammer trials can do this only based on the military coups that were carried out in the past. None of them dare to mention the forged digital data and why hundreds of officers who did not even attended the seminar were sentenced (this is the “war game” seminar during which the alleged coup was planned). I cannot be held responsible for the military coups in the past. I was only 10 years old when the last one of them happened in September 12th, 1980. If every way is just for revenge, I would like to remind that there is no perfect crime. The Sledgehammer trial is where justice was slaughtered. Facts are known and were proved with expert reports prepared scientifically. The digital data that are used as the primary evidence of the alleged crime are “fake”. Hundreds of people are sentenced based on this digital data.
TURKEY’S BAD SCORE CARD WILL GET EVEN WORSE IN FRONT OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH THIS CASE
The Turkish judges (of these courts) disregarded the facts of this case and if the Supreme Court (Yargitay) continues to disregard then the European Court of Human Rights will decide that the right to just trial was violated and show the digital forgery to all the responsible authorities. This inevitable verdict will carry the already bad reputation of the Turkish justice system to the top. Unfortunately, this process is likely to take 3 yo 5 years. We will be the only victims during this time. Wasted years in prison, destroyed careers, and the indescribable pain that our families have already gone and will go through.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET US WHEN YOU HUG YOUR CHILD
I kindly ask you. Every time you hear the words just trial, democracy, independent and impartial justice; every time a verdict is given and trials are carried out by disregarding expert reports; every time you see a piece of news about Silivri, Besiktas Judicial Court, the Gulen Movement, Cemaat (the cult of Fethullah Gulen), electronic unnamed snitch letters, justice packages; every time read sentences that end with the words military guardianship (i.e., the threat of military coups), calling military to account for the coups are used; and every time you hug your child and loved ones, remember the Sledgehammer convicts (read as victims) who are paying the unjust price for a revenge of the past. Please do not forget us…
Caveo Cavi Cautum 