First people who support the Justice and Development Party (or AKP) and most foreign observers said that Erkenegon is an organization of Kemalists who are, of course, all fascists. Then the storyline became that they are not ‘normal’ Kemalists but extremists, who are despised by Kemalists as well as liberal democrats (partially true). But then the story changed even more; they were part of a mythical organization which has existed for hundreds, nay thousands, of years.

As if that was not enough, the story changed even more radically; it now seems that Islamists are also part of the group whose goal it allegedly is to overthrow the democratically elected Turkish government by the use of force (especially a military coup).

 Last week, the �seventh wave� of arrests in the Ergenekon case took place, and among the detained were the editors of a marginal monthly called �Milli Çözüm,� or, The National Solution. Based in the conservative city of Konya, this was clearly an Islamist magazine, but was also staunchly nationalist and militarist…

The real gem is the content of Milli Çözüm. It is a very curious blend of anti-Western radical Islamism and Kemalist militarism. The cover of its current July issue presents a must-see cartoon: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a donkey and the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is riding him. There is also a quote from Olmert, who is called “the arch-terrorist of Zionist Israel”. “I am thankful to Erdoğan,� Olmert reportedly said, �He helps me a lot.”

When you turn this creative cover, you come through a list of cheesy ideological tracts: In the pages of Milli Görüş, there are three pieces against the EU, one against the United States and Israel each, and another one which bashes the whole “Western civilization” as a “wild beast.” On the other hand there are three pieces which defend the Turkish military from “unjust criticisms and heinous attacks.” Three other pieces are dedicated to the life and views of Atatürk and explain how those were totally compatible with “Milli Görüş,” the ideology of both the magazine and the Saadet (Felicity) Party.

News in Turkish press reported that the editors and writers of Milli Çözüm are indeed an offshoot of the Saadet Party, the one that is led by Necmeddin Erbakan and that got 2 percent of the votes in last year’s general elections. Apparently the Milli Çözüm folks have broken with Erbakan’s party because they found it too soft and silent. The AKP’s founders, as you would know, had broken with Erbakan about a decade ago to head towards a liberal and democratic position. The Mili Çözüm folks seem to have gone the complete opposite way.

Yet they have not simply become radical Islamists, as they could well have been. They rather have become radical Islamists with a very strong, and very bizarre, touch of Kemalism.

The “touch of Kemalism” seemingly meaning ‘militarism’ in Mustafa Akyol’s enlightened Islamist opinion.

Be that as it may, it’s fascinating to see that the Erkenegon case changes once again. And that after more than 80 suspects were already charged with crimes related to planning chaos (hopefully) resulting in the violent overthrow of a democratically elected government.

This case is a typical Turkish case; mythical organizations, radicals, conspiracies.

The question is; is it true?