The five Turkish young men accused of torturing and killing three Christians in Malatya last year may have been influenced by members of a large political conspiracy allegedly responsible for several killings in recent years.
The 10th hearing on the killings of three Christians at a publishing house in southeast Turkey 16 months ago took place on 21.08.08 at the Third Criminal Court in Malatya.
The defendant's lawyers suggested that the case be integrated with an investigation into Ergenekon, an ultra-nationalist group of retired generals, politicians, journalists and mafia members under investigation for conspiracy in various killings.In January, police uncovered and arrested people from Ergenekon. The investigation linked them to high-profile assaults, murders and plans to create local chaos and ultimately overthrow the government.
Two Turkish Christians, Necaty Aydin and Ugur Yüksel and a German, Tilmann Geske, were brutally tortured and killed 18.04.07 in the southeastern city of Malatya.
Evidence suggests that Emre Günaydin, the leader of the killers, had contact with at least two people connected to Ergenekon: a retired brigadier general and a journalist. The latter, Varol Bülent Aral, told Günaydin that he saw a connection between missionaries and the Kurdistan Workers' Party terrorist organization (Compass Direct News/Danish European Mission)
