Parallel to the capture of retired Gen. Veli Küçük and other military personnel and civilians early this year over their alleged role in the Ergenekon terror organization, retired generals in particular and former uniformed men in general are nowhere to be seen in the Turkish media. 

The number of retired generals appearing both on television and in print expressing their views on Turkey and the war in Iraq had mushroomed since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. The views expressed carried with them extreme political content rather than focusing on analyzing the military aspects of the war -- a reflection of the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) traditional involvement in political affairs.

These retired generals also used the media spotlight as an opportunity to attack the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) from time to time on several foreign and domestic policy issues, triggering Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's comments last year in which he described the retired generals as "provocateurs."

In November of last year, the TSK prohibited retired officers from making statements concerning the time they served in the military to the media, threatening to take away benefits such as subsidized lodging at military-owned residential complexes.

It was later understood that the ban was directed at retired officers who were critical of the TSK -- in particular after the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) attacked the Dağlıca military headquarters, located in the Southeast near the Iraqi border, in November of last year, killing 13 Turkish soldiers.

Some retired generals who served in the region in the past accused the TSK of negligence, and the attack paved the way for Turkey to go ahead with an aerial bombardment and a ground operation into northern Iraq. The US supplied real-time intelligence for this incursion.

When Ümit Kardat, a retired military judge who is outspoken on military affairs, once told the media that he was denied entry to military lodging, speculation arose over whether the military had banned retired officers who were critical of the TSK and its practices from enjoying such privileges.

Since the TSK issued the ban, retired officers have continued to appear in the media, but have limited their criticism to AK Party practices, though a handful of the retired officers have continued criticizing the TSK as well.

However, since an investigation was launched into Ergenekon, a crime network accused of plotting to overthrow the government, soon followed by an indictment, and since an İstanbul court agreed to hear the case on Oct. 20, almost all retired officers -- by now familiar faces to Turkish audiences -- are nowhere to be seen.

Some retired generals, regular writers for the Cumhuriyet daily -- whose publisher and columnist, İlhan Selçuk, was accused of being a leader of the Ergenekon terrorist organization and whose Ankara representative, Mustafa Balbay, was also detained over his alleged links to the gang -- have also stopped writing articles for the daily.

A military source told Today’s Zaman that with the arrest of some senior generals and the release of the Ergenekon indictment, these are critical moments. Generals, out of concern for being linked to Ergenekon or being arrested for being a part of it, have chosen to no longer appear in the media.

An İstanbul court will begin hearing the trial of 86 defendants, 46 of whom are under arrest, charged with either forming or being a member of a terrorist organization or of inciting public unrest and encouraging subordination within the military with the aim of toppling the ruling AK Party.

As details of the Ergenekon indictment continue to be published by Turkish dailies, it has become clear that this organization, acting like a state within a state (”deep state”), has existed for quite some time and was allegedly behind many criminal acts and politically motivated assassinations in the country in addition to planning to overthrow the ruling AK Party government. These plans have only been a part of its many alleged unlawful acts. Operations against those allegedly linked to Ergenekon continue. The İstanbul residence of retired Col. Arif Doğan, said to be a founder of JİTEM -- an intelligence unit in the gendarmerie whose existence is officially denied, was raided on Thursday night. The police seized ammunition, including 280 hand grenades and other weapons. An additional two individuals were detained in Ankara.

Jail food just got better 

Meanwhile, inmates and employees of Kandıra Prison in Kocaeli report satisfaction over the higher quality of food now available to them, which they say happened thanks to a large number of high-profile Ergenekon suspects, including retired senior generals.

    Inmates and wards at the Kocaeli prison say that the food has improved since retired senior generals Şener Eruygur, who also heads the Atatürk Thought Association (ADD), and Hurşit Tolon were moved to the prison. The inmates say that, in addition to the higher quality, the amount of meat in meals has also significantly increased.

    However, soon the senior generals will be moved to another prison in Silivri, after which inmates and prison wards fear that the food will return to its former state. Current guests at Kandıra Prison include superstars of the crime world such as Sedat Peker, Alattin Çakıcı, Erol Evcil and Vedat Ergin. Ogün Samast, the teenager who shot dead Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 - a crime of which Ergenekon is also suspected -- is also an inmate at Kandıra prison. 

TODAYSZAMAN