Turkey’s top judicial board suspends controversial prosecutor

ANKARA

The Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has “temporarily” suspended a prosecutor who oversaw a number of controversial investigations including the Ergenekon, Balyoz (Sledgehammer), and KCK cases from 2007 to 2012. 

The 2nd Chamber HSYK announced on Nov. 24 that it had temporarily suspended Fikret Seçen, who served as a prosecutor in the cases against alleged coup attempts by groups within the military and outlawed Kurdish organizations.  

2nd Chamber Chairman Mehmet Yılmaz said Seçen was suspended over a number of professional violations. 

Yılmaz said Seçen did not cite a necessary Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) report in favor of the defendants’ indictment in a controversial “military espionage” case. The TÜBİTAK report said the defendants who allegedly prepared the CD that formed the basis of the file were not on duty at the time the CD was made, as they were on a medical leave, Yılmaz stated.

He also noted that Seçen had illegally wiretapped judge Nurettin Turan.

Any judge or prosecutor can be temporarily suspended if he is under investigation, Yılmaz noted. 

Meanwhile, the chamber also decided to demand Seçen’s statement on accusations that he “insulted” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

The military espionage case refers to the 2011 prosecution of 56 members of the Turkish Armed Forces  on charges of military espionage and blackmailing. The charges brought against them included illegal wiretapping, founding a criminal organization, and espionage. The indictment alleged that the accused intended to share information with third parties in return for financial gain.