‘Cumhuriyet’ Publishes Documents of Arms Shipment from Turkey to Syrian Militants

One of Turkey's leading newspapers, opposing the Islamist government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, published documents and images related to Turkey's relations with Syrian militant groups on Friday, June 8. Following a special report in the Turkish newspaper 'Cumhuriyet' about the discovery of weapons and ammunition from several trucks belonging to the country's security organization, the Istanbul prosecutor's office ordered an investigation into 'Can Dündar,' the chief editor of the newspaper. After judicial investigations, the editor may be charged with violating Turkey's anti-terrorism laws and face trial. In its Friday issue, Cumhuriyet published for the first time images and a video of several trucks belonging to Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), showing concealed weapons and ammunition intended for shipment to Syria. According to Cumhuriyet's report and other non-governmental Turkish media, on January 19 of this year, gendarmerie officers, acting on received intelligence and under the orders of the city prosecutor, stopped several cargo trucks heading to the Syrian border. Initially, undercover agents from Turkey's security organization attempted to prevent the inspection of the trucks' cargo, but the prosecutor's presence and insistence led to the opening of the trucks' compartments. Cumhuriyet reported that a large quantity of ammunition hidden in antibiotic medicine cans, as well as mortars and small rockets, were discovered. A few weeks after this incident, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated at a large gathering in Adana, 'They treated the trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the Turkmen of Syria like enemies and traitors. When I saw this as Prime Minister, I was very upset and angry. We must understand that anyone who stopped our trucks is a traitor.' However, a few days after this incident, a representative of the Syrian Turkmen told reporters that they had not received any aid from Turkey. As tensions continued between the government and the Islamist Justice and Development Party and opposition parties accusing Erdoğan of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, 'Yasin Aktaş,' a member of the Justice and Development Party, confirmed on May 18 the shipment of arms and ammunition to Syria. In a debate with an opposition member questioning where the discovered weapons were going, he stated that these weapons were for the Free Syrian Army and that ISIS was the biggest enemy of the Free Syrian Army. Earlier this month, four prosecutors who ordered the inspection of the trucks were arrested, and legal cases have been opened against at least 30 local security personnel. Some of them face charges such as military espionage and attempting to overthrow the government. Erdoğan has accused local prosecutors, some opposition media, and individuals involved in uncovering and exposing the operations of Turkey's security organization of collaborating with Fethullah Gülen, the spiritual leader of many citizens in the country. Erdoğan and his party have accused Gülen's supporters of forming a parallel state and attempting to overthrow his government. Opposition parties and groups in Turkey declared their support for Cumhuriyet just hours after the publication of this special report and the initiation of judicial investigations against its editor.