Illegal groups within the state, extrajudicial killings and political murders have been major topics on Turkey’s agenda during the past 15 years.

The issues date to the 1990s, when, at the height of the Kurdish conflict, rogue groups of soldiers, public servants and “confessors” — former Kurdish militants who became collaborators — embarked on a spree of summary executions of Kurdish civilians, including politicians and businessmen, in the name of “fighting terrorism.” The aim was to control Kurdish cities through bloodshed, coercion and intimidation. Occasionally, some of the perpetrators were caught red-handed and charged, while a few scapegoats were also convicted, with their atrocities played down as isolated incidents.

After its victories in the 2007 legislative elections, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) moved to reopen the files, as it began to confront the military and the established order. The JITEM cases — as they are widely known, using the acronym of the notorious Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror unit — kicked off with big political pledges, raising hope that Turkey would face up to the dark episodes of its past and strengthen its democracy.

In time, however, the process slackened with the changing political climate. In the past couple of years, a series of high-profile cases were either closed or resulted in acquittals, as the AKP’s relations with the military leadership warmed. In short, Turkey was neither able to face up to the state’s brutal policies in the past nor hold the wrongdoers to account.