August 1, 2008 (LPAC)-- On July 15th Turkey's state prosecutor presented the Criminal Court a 2,500 page indictment against the Ergenekon criminal gang which EIR has found includes direct references to Vice President Dick Cheney. Ergenekon, which has been referred to as Turkey's equivalent of Italy's notorious Gladio stay-behind network that was linked to NATO and international terrorism, is accused of plotting a strategy of tension that was to culminate in a military coup against the government of Prime Minister Recept Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The name Dick Cheney appears no less then four times in the indictment. The most relevant is a report alleging that Cheney, along with three of his aides, met with the Washington representatives of the Turkish ultra-nationalist daily Cumhuriyet. Cumhuriyet's publisher, Ilhan Selcuk, and chief editor, Ibrahim Yilgez, have been interrogated by Turkish authorities probing their links to Ergenekon. The two have not been indicted, but have been interrogated more then once on the case. Although not under indictment for connections to Ergenekon, Yilgez, in past years was himself arrested and condemn for publishing slanders against Prime Minister Erdogan.

On page 1771 of the indictment, there is a report of a wiretapped discussion between Sulcuk and Yilgez which took place on February 20th of this year, where the two discussed a meeting held on February 14, 2008 between their Washington correspondent, Elcin Poyrazlar, Vice-President Cheney, and three of Cheney's advisers. According to the indictment, Poyrazlar, Cheney, and the others discussed the political situation in Turkey, including possible alternatives to the AKP if the Turkish situation is destabilized. They referenced the Republican Peoples Party (CUP) as an alternative, but that proposal was rejected since the CUP has been marginalized.

After this wiretapped discussion Selcuk was arrested on March 21, and interrogated on why his correspondent was meeting with Cheney.

This item is important for three reasons. One is just the fact that the Turkish police appear to have the healthy suspicion that those who meet Cheney, the Vice President of the United States, might have some treasonous intentions. It is well known, in Turkey as well as the U.S., that Cheney, like his British masters, vehemently opposes Turkey's role in peace-making in the region, especially that between Syria and Israel.

Second, is the fact that on March 14th, a few weeks after this alleged meeting with Cheney, the State Prosecutor brought before the Constitutional Court his case to close down the AKP for allegedly violating the secularity of the State, a case which the AKP only this week has won.

Third, is the fact that on March 24, during one of his infamous Middle East tours, Cheney made an official visit to Turkey. It was widely reported that Cheney was pressuring the Turkish government to send combat troops to Afghanistan, a request the government refused. Although Turkey has troops in Afghanistan, they are there in a non combatant role. Cheney and the Turkish government also discussed Iran. Many commentators suggested that Cheney's tour was to drum up support for an attack on Iran, something the Turkish government would oppose. There have been commentaries in the Turkish press since the Ergenekon story broke to the effect that the neocons might be behind a coup against the government in order to get a new government that would support an attack on Iran.