Formation of new political parties should be prevented: Former deep state convict Ağar

Mehmet Ağar, whose name is associated with the “deep state” for a majority of people in Turkey, has said the ruling AKP's breakaway figures should be dissuaded from founding new parties. “Otherwise this will have very heavy consequences," Ağar said during a meeting in Istanbul on Dec. 22.

Duvar English

Former national police chief and politician Mehmet Ağar, who was previously convicted on charges of “establishing an armed organization for the purpose of committing crimes” as part of the Susurluk deep state case, has commented on the new political initiatives in Turkey, saying their founders should be “absolutely” deterred from establishing new parties.

“Otherwise this will have very heavy consequences. Of course, I would not want to sadden anyone who has served the state in the past, but it also our right that we ask them not to sadden us,” Ağar was quoted as saying during a meeting in Istanbul on Dec. 22 by Indepedent Türkçe news website.

Ağar, although not explicitly giving their names, were referring to former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's newly-founded Future Party and former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan's long-awaited political party.

Ağar claimed that these new political initiatives are attempts to “break up” the current “nationalist, conservative ruling government.” He also accused the breakaway figures of being under some “counter groups' influences.”

Recalling what Turkey went through during the previous coup attempts, he said that the Democrat Party, the Justice Party and the True Path Party had been “weakened” respectively prior to the May 27, 1960 coup, the Sept. 12, 1980 coup and the “postmodern” coup of Feb. 28, 1997. And similarly, today, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is trying to be “weakened” through breakaway parties, according to Ağar.

Ağar's name is associated with the “deep state” for a majority of people in Turkey. He served a brief prison sentenced between 2012-2013 as part of trials concerning the Susurluk scandal, which surfaced in the wake of a traffic accident that occurred in the town of Susurluk in the province of Balıkesir in 1996.

The Susurluk case uncovered the relationship between the country’s mafia, police and political figures. It was claimed that the deep state had been responsible for many unsolved crimes.