The Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization (, JİT) or the Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism (, JİTEM) is the intelligence department of the Turkish Gendarmerie. JİTEM was active in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. After the Susurluk scandal, former prime ministers Bülent Ecevit and Mesut Yılmaz have confirmed the existence of JİTEM.

According to Murat Belge of Istanbul Bilgi University, who has reported that he was tortured in 1971 by its founder, Veli Küçük, JİTEM is an embodiment of the deep state. In other words, it is used by "the Establishment" to enforce alleged national interests. It is also said to be the military wing of Ergenekon, an underground Turkish nationalist organization. In 2008, long-maintained official denials of JİTEM's existence started collapsing in the courts, as ex-members of Turkey's "deep state" security apparatus testify to their participation in covert and illegal activities over the last few decades as part of the ongoing Ergenekon investigation.Jamestown Foundation Turkey's Gendarmerie: Reforming a Frontline Unit in the War on Terrorism, Publication: Terrorism Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 22, November 25, 2008 by Andrew McGregor

History

Background

The unit was officially founded in 2005, but its unofficial history goes back to the 1980s. Its roots lie further back with the Counter-Guerrilla: JİTEM used Counter-Guerrilla methods and possibly equipment, and key figures had been involved with the Counter-Guerrilla. For example, Murat Belge of Istanbul Bilgi University says he was tortured in 1971 by a key JİTEM figure, Veli Küçük.

Unofficial (1980s–2005) JİTEM was active in the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. Alt URL

It has repeatedly been claimed that JİTEM was dissolved. One of the first was Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz. He stated on 22 January 1998 on the Arena program on Kanal D hosted by Uğur Dündar that JİTEM did not exist any longer. When İsmail Hakkı Karadayı assumed the role of chief of general staff, (30 August 1994 – 30 August 1998), news stating the dissolution of JİTEM were leaked to the press.Serhan Yedig, "Bir var bir yok! Hem var hem yok JİTEM" Hürriyet, 21 November 2005. The last declaration about JİTEM's dissolution came in 2004 from the former Commander of the Gendarmerie in the State of Emergency Region (Olağanüstü Hal, OHAL), retired Lieutenant- General Altay Tokat. Tokat stated in his interview with the newspaper Zaman that JİTEM was a “public disclosure of an intelligence unit that fought against the PKK in the OHAL region” and that it had “fulfilled its role and was dissolved".Tokat Paşa: Suçlular cezalandırılsın, ordu yıpratılmasın , Zaman, 29 December 2004.

The former chair of Diyarbakır Bar Association, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, however claims that JİTEM was not dissolved, but the cadres were not active at the moment.

Official (2005–present) JİTEM was made a legal entity through Article 5 of the Law 2803 on the Establishment, Duties and Jurisdiction of GendarmerieFor Article 5 of Law on the Establishment, Duties and Jurisdiction of Gendarmerie No. 2803, see Resmi Gazete (Official Gazette) No. 17985, dated 12 March 1983. "The Organisation of the General Command of Gendarmerie is stated in its own establishment and staff decrees in accordance with the nature of its duties and the principles of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Gendarmerie General Command's establishment, staff and duty stations are regulated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in consultation with the General Staff. During times of mobilization and war, squads under the command of military departments are organised with the approval of the General Staff. The organisation and mobilising of gendarmerie squads that are charged with security and public order duties are based on civilian divisions except in inevitable situations. To provide productivity and efficiency of service, organisations that cover more than one province are also considered." and Article 4 of the Law Concerning the Transfer of Our Borders, Coasts and Territorial Waters' Protection and Anti-Smuggling Activities to the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 6815.

The gendarmerie intelligence, previously known as JİTEM or JİT, finally gained legal status with the Law Concerning Amendments to Some Laws No. 5397, accepted on 3 July 2005, effective since 23 July 2005 thus becoming the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department within the General Command of Gendarmerie. This law authorised the gendarmerie to carry out technical stakeouts.For the Law Concerning Amendments to Some Laws No. 5397 see Resmi Gazete (Official Gazette) dated 23 July 2005 No. 25884.

Investigation history

1993–1996 The first person to write about JİTEM was journalist Ayşe Önal for the Ateş newspaper on 2 July 1994. Önal had learned about it from Veli Küçük after being introduced to him through MIT spy and fellow journalist, Tuncay Güney. Önal and Küçük's meeting did not go well, and Önal vowed to write about it. She followed through, and was promptly fired, along with nineteen of her coworkers.

Findings about JİTEM and Ersever were also published by researchers and journalists. One of the first and most detailed of these was by Soner Yalçın. Yalçın managed to interview Cem Ersever, subsequently publishing the interviews in his book Binbaşı Ersever'in İtirafları ("Confessions of Major Ersever").

Susurluk scandal

JİTEM was subjected to parliamentary scrutiny during the Susurluk scandal, when commanders in the Gendarmerie repeatedly denied the existence of an overarching intelligence organization within the Gendarmerie. Susurluk commission member Fikri Sağlar said that the commanders denied its existence because the Gendarmerie formally acquired the legal capacity to conduct intelligence operations in 2005 (with Law 5397). The author of the Prime Ministry Inspection Board report, Kutlu Savaş, said JİTEM was created on Gendarmerie Commander Hulusi Sayın's watch (1981–1985). The Parliamentary Investigation Committee's report on Unsolved Political Murders in Various Regions of Our Country (10/90) dated 12 October 1995 and the summary by Istanbul National Security Court General Prosecutor dated 30 January 1997 are also worthy of consideration.The article INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES OF THE GENDARMERIE CORPS (JİTEM & JİT) by Ertan Beşe, Assistant Professor, Police Academy, Faculty of Security Sciences can be found in the ALMANAC TURKEY 2005: SECURITY SECTOR AND DEMOCRATIC OVERSIGHT (DCAF) - TESEV (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) SERIES IN SECURITY SECTOR STUDIES, ALMANAC TURKEY 2005, Link to the pdf-file pages 172-189

Investigations into the 1996 Susurluk scandal revealed some role for JİTEM. Former prime ministers Bülent Ecevit, (archived from the original 2009-02-05), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-Guerrilla Affairs", p.39-86 (see quotation on p.40): "It seems that some illegal methods were employed within the state during the anti-terrorist struggle. In the report, some military people are mentioned, but the report implies that the army as a whole was not involved in such affairs. I am glad to hear that. If the army had been involved in such affairs, it would have been highly difficult for us to solve the problem. On the other hand, the situation of the Gendarmerie is a bit complex because its affiliation is to both the army and the Ministry of Interior Affairs. That's an outcome of the report. JİTEM seems corrupted." and Mesut Yılmaz, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, chapter II, "SUSURLUK SCANDAL: Counter-guerilla Affairs", p.46: The report prepared by Prime Ministry Inspection Board Deputy Chairman Kutlu Savaş mentioned JİTEM as involved in gang activities. However, JİTEM is among the "state secrets" of Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz. Yılmaz accepted the existence of JİTEM but argued that "military officials were not involved and they intervened when they learned about it." Yılmaz carefully tried to relieve military officials, the Gendarmerie's former Commander General Teoman Koman from responsibility. Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit said, "JİTEM is mentioned in the report. However, the Gendarmerie and JİTEM are not equal to the army." accepted the existence of JİTEM.

Seven months after the release of the Susurluk Report, a book entitled: Cem Ersever ve JİTEM Gerçeği ("Cem Ersever and the JİTEM Fact"), written by journalist Çetin Ağaşe, a friend of the Ersever family, was published. The appendix of the book contains documents such as the 1994 phone directory of the General Command of Gendarmerie, which contained the numbers of the JİTEM Group Commander and JİTEM units in each city. This was further proof of JİTEM's official existence and of Ersever's position within the chain of command.

Abdülkadir Aygan Revelations have recently come from an informant named Abdülkadir Aygan (a former PKK member recruited by JİTEM, now a political refugee in SwedenOkkan assassination linked to JİTEM, Today's Zaman, 27 August 2008) that it was founded by retired general Veli Küçük, who is currently arrested in the Ergenekon investigations. Other people allegedly involved in its founding are Ahmet Cem Ersever, Arif Doğan, Hasan Kundakçı, Hüseyin Kara, Hulusi Sayın and Aytekin Özen, according to Aygan. Küçük confirmed Aygan's allegations about his cofounding the organization.

Arif Doğan After being taken into custody, Arif Doğan admitted to being a founder of the organization, originally known as the Intelligence Group Command (), and that in 1990 he handed the reins to Veli Küçük. In 2005 he had denied the very existence of such an organization.see the daily Hürriyet of 20 November 2005 After his release from prisonArif Doğan was detained in August 2008 (see Weekly report of the HRFT) and released because of illness 11 months later (see the daily Zaman of 30 July 2009 ) Arif Doğan spoke to journalists of the news channel Habertürk TV in September 2010 and said that he alone had founded JİTEM and had "frozen" it in 1990.Habertürk, 26 September 2010, 'JİTEM'i ben kurdum, ben dondurdum'; accessed on 27 September 2010 Concerning the structure of JİTEM Colonel Arif Doğan said: "My staff was 10,000, including 620 women. They participated in operations and got 3,000 Lira for each head."

According to figures of the Justice Ministry about 1,950 PKK militants became confessors after arrest.See the article in Haber Vitrin of 9 February 2009 ; accessed on 27 September 2010 Unofficial figures put the number of confessors that were used and paid in the fight against the PKK at 500.

Modus operandi Among the alleged members are ex-PKK-operatives (), besides non-commissioned officers and a few officers of the Gendarmerie. While Aygan listed several units as part of JİTEM such as the Gendarmerie General Command, the Intelligence Command, the Joint Group Command, the Regional Group Commands (of which there are seven), the Team Commands and small clandestine cells the lawyer Tahir Elçi, who is acting on behalf of victims of JİTEM said: "It is not possible to completely know the organizational structure of JİTEM; but it is understood that it was organized within the Gendarmerie, the centre being in Ankara and having group commands mostly in the South-East within the Regimental Commands of the provinces. They took their orders from the centre in Ankara and conducted three folded activities: gather intelligence, interrogate and carry out operations."

JİTEM carried out its activities using the "staff system" (eleman sistemi) and technical stakeout approaches. The information gathered was analysed, became intelligence and submitted to the Intelligence Group Command. Every report was assembled by the Intelligence Group Command and operation teams were dispatched accordingly.

Actions

Fight against PKK