Ziverbey Villa

The Ziverbey Villa (Turkish: Ziverbey Köşkü) is a villa in Erenköy, Istanbul which was used as a torture center after the 1971 coup d'état. It was used by the Special Warfare Department and others associated with the Counter-Guerrilla. Those detained were mostly associated with the left; the 12 March 1971 coup was alleged to be a counter-coup against a planned 9 March communist coup.

History

1971 military memorandum

The mastermind behind Ziverbey interrogations was brigadier general Memduh Ünlütürk, working under lieutenant General Turgut Sunalp, who was reporting to the Commander of First Army, General Faik Türün. The latter two generals were Korean War veterans who had served in the Operations Department (Turkish: Harekât Dairesi). The interrogation techniques they used in Ziverbey were inspired by what they had seen done to Korean and Chinese POWs during the Korean War.[1] Prisoners were bound and blinded.

Our interrogation technique was "special". Our men were special... An incorrigible communist alleged that she was raped with a truncheon. Pardon my saying so, but would our 20-21 year old stout boys need a truncheon? It defies all logic. As far as I know, the prisoners were merely slapped around.

— Turgut Sunalp, Nokta, 3 November 1985 (the slapping references Eyüp Ozalkus's treatment of Talat Turhan)[1]

Intellectuals such as İlhan Selçuk (allegedly linked with the 9 March coup plans) and Uğur Mumcu were tortured there. Several Ziverbey victims confirmed that the interrogators introduced themselves as "Counter-Guerrillas", above the law, and entitled to kill.[2][3][4][5] Under duress to write an apologetic statement, Selçuk famously revealed his plight using a modified acrostic which decrypted to "I am under torture". The key letter was the first of the penultimate word of each sentence in his statement.

Another prisoner, outspoken liberal Murat Belge, says that he was tortured there by Veli Küçük, who later founded JITEM and Hezbollah (Turkey) to counter the Kurdistan Workers' Party.[6] Küçük says he could not be responsible since he was stationed in Şırnak and has been charged with colluding with another Ziverbey victim, İlhan Selçuk (see Ergenekon).[7]

The activist film director Yılmaz Güney was also present. A friend of his in the MİT had tried to prevent him from being captured by telling his superiors that Güney was also a spy, but the ruse failed. A MİT officer who was present, Mehmet Eymür, said Güney was treated well in return for his co-operation.[8]

General Yamak denied that the Special Warfare Department (ÖHD) was involved, and dismissed any notion of a "counter-guerrilla".[9]

Ziverbey is notable for:

  • being the first time the term "Counter-Guerrilla" was mentioned to anyone who was not already a member.
  • revealing the fact that the counter-guerrilla co-operated with the MİT.

Demolition

Ziverbey Villa was demolished in the 1990s.[10]

Monument to the Victims of Torture

In 2013, a monument titled "Monument to the Victims of Torture" was erected in front of the Ziverbey Villa.[11]

Books

References
  1. Kılıç, Ecevit (2008-09-21). "Kore kahramanları Ziverbey işkencelerinde". Sabah (in Turkish). Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  2. Lucy Komisar, Turkey's terrorists: a CIA legacy lives on, The Progressive, April 1997.
  3. Kamp, Kristina (2008-02-01). "Gladio, Turkish Counter-Guerrilla and Ergenekon, a devilish trio". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2008-10-22. They blindfolded me and bound my arms and feet. Then they told me that I was 'in the hands of the Counter-Guerrilla unit operating under the high command of the army outside the Constitution and the law.' They told me that they 'considered me their prisoner of war' and that I was 'sentenced to death'
  4. Ganser, Daniele (Winter–Spring 2005). "Terrorism in Western Europe: An Approach to NATO's Secret Stay-Behind Armies" (PDF). Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations. VI (1): 74. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  5. İlhan Selçuk, Ziverbey Köşkü (quoted in Mercan, 2006). His interrogators reputedly said: "İlhan Selçuk, Genelkurmay Başkanlığına bağlı kontrgerilla örgütünün karşısında bulunuyorsun. Sen bizim tutsağımızsın. Burada anayasa babayasa yoktur. Örgüt seni ölüme mahkum etmiştir. Sana istediğimizi yapmaya yetkiliyiz. Buraya getirilmen örgüt kararıyladır. Seni Marksist, Leninist, Komünist biliyoruz. Eğer konuşur ve böyle olduğunu itiraf edersen hakkında hayırlı olur."
  6. Usul, Safile (2008-09-08). "'Veli Küçük bana işkence yaptı'". Gazeteport (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  7. "Veli Küçük: Benim bölgemde faili meçhul olmaz". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Anadolu Agency. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2008-12-15. Sene 1972. Ben Şırnak Jandarma Komutanı'yım. O zaman Şırnak'ta yol yok, elektrik yok, su yok, radyo dahi yok ve ben Ziverbey'e gelip sorguya katılıyorum. Yazar İlhan Selçuk benim suç ortağım. O da oradaydı. Onu da mı ben sorguladım?
  8. "Necati, Yılmaz Güney'in MİT'teki köstebeğiydi". Sabah (in Turkish). 2007-07-20. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  9. Mercan, Faruk (2006-01-09). "İlk Özel Harpçi Orgeneral". Aksiyon (in Turkish). 579. Archived from the original on June 8, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-21. Ziverbey Köşkü, Özel Harp Dairesi'nin yeri değildi ve sorgucular daire mensubu değildi. Biz Kontrgerillayız demeleri, kendilerine bir maske olarak kullandıkları bilinçsiz ifadeler.
  10. Som, Deniz (12 March 2001). "30 yıl sonra 'Ziverbey Köşkü'nde". Cumhuriyet. p. 7.
  11. Karaca, Ekin (12 September 2013). "İşkence Mağdurlarına Saygı Anıtı Açıldı". Bianet. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
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