More Ergenekon Weirdness

At the same time as the parliament here is moving forth with a proposal to establish a special parliamentary commission to investigate Ergenekon and its links to the state, the Turkish public is learning more and more about the gang's activities. While CHP is drafting the proposal and AKP has said it is in support of their work, MHP is more ambivalent and has expressed fears that any such move might label nationalists as gang members. One would think that if you were a member of a self-identified nationalist party and wanted to distance the ideology of your party from the apparently heinous crimes of an illegal gang you would be among the first to call for an extensive investigation. However, this sentiment is apparently not felt by MHP's leadership.

As the story gets weirder and weirder, this Wednesday the so-called head of the "Turkish Orthodox Church," Paşa Ümit Erenerol, was detained by police for questioning. The "Turkish Orthodox Church" is recognized only by its members and its "patriarchate" dates back to the final days of World War I. Also affiliated with the organization is Sevgi Erenerol, one of the first arrested and the sister of the "patriarch." Erenerol is suspected of being one of the chief ring leaders of the group and gained a reputation for her vitriol in discussing supposed Christian missionary activities and Kurds. Mustafa Aykol's column today in the Turkish Daily News tells an interesting narrative of the church.