Just consider a case where the United States was sending arms to the Ukrainians by trucks to help them get rid of the Russian menace, and that some people who sought to topple the Obama administration wanted to sabotage this and thus made the Germans raid the vehicles and arrest the Americans escorting the arms, saying they were carrying weapons that would eventually end up in the hands of DAESH terrorists. What these people wanted was to create a scandal around Barack Obama aiding DAESH so he would be forced to resign, as well as face legal charges. So, at the end of the day, they would be helping Russia continue its domination over Ukraine and slate Obama as a leader who helps terrorists.

Wouldn't this be called an act of espionage of the first degree?

Then consider a situation where a journalist and his newspaper were used by these people to report this story to the public to further their cause to topple Obama. Would this journalist be using his right to express a view to oppose Obama and report an exclusive story, or would he be an accomplice in an espionage case against Obama and thus face criminal proceedings? That would be for the court to decide in view of the evidence, which is exactly what happened in Turkey. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) sent a TIR lorry to help out the Bayırbucak Turkmens in northern Syria who have come under attack from the Assad regime forces. The followers of the Gülen Movement, who want to topple the government, used its prosecutors and policemen to stop the lorry, harass the intelligence personnel and try to arrest them. There were allegations that the lorry carried arms to the Turkmens for self-defense.However, the way the Gülen people portrayed the incident was that the administration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was sending arms to DAESH. The aim was to depict Erdoğan as a supporter of religious terrorism, harm his image in the West and eventually topple him.

The case was a clear act of espionage.

So, those who wanted to harm Erdoğan and his administration and deny relief for the Turkmens used this by splashing it on the front page of left-wing daily Cumhuriyet run by Can Dündar. Whether Dündar was blackmailed into doing this, trying to win the limelight or was actually a part of this espionage case remains to be seen and the court will get to the bottom of this provided the Constitutional Court does not interfere illegally in the legal proceedings.

Dündar and the Ankara representative of the newspaper were arrested on espionage charges. The Constitutional Court ruled that keeping Dündar and his colleague in jail pending the trial was a violation of their rights. The court trying Dündar and his colleague decided to set them free pending the trial. This is where President Erdoğan objected. He told journalists accompanying him in Nigeria during a state visit that the court may or may not agree to the Supreme Court ruling. He said he cannot challenge the Constitutional Court rulings regarding legislation but said the court did not rule on legislation, but ruled on a personal appeal that can be challenged according to the Constitution.

Erdoğan said we are not discussing a case where Dündar simply aired his views and expressed opinion. He and his colleague face charges of being a part of an espionage case. So, the court could have insisted on keeping them in jail, but did not. Now Erdoğan says the prosecutor can appeal to the case and a higher court could re-arrest the two.

Erdoğan is not challenging the Constitutional order. He is simply saying the Supreme Court is making mistakes and he is only pointing out these mistakes and thus demanding that justice be properly served.

Someone should tell the chief justice of the Supreme Court that he is making a colossal mistake trying to take on Erdoğan.