How was the İzmir March banned at the Military Academy?

Journalist Tolga Şardan announced on Friday, under the headline “New incident at the Military Academy,” that students had also been banned from singing the İzmir March.

The details provided by Şardan were summarized as follows:

“The reason for banning students from singing the İzmir March is that it carries a ‘political message’... The ban was not given to the students and the responsible commanders in writing, but verbally!.. So, did it end when the verbal ban instruction was given? Of course not; when the students continued to sing the İzmir March, the school administration took the defense of a platoon commander, a first lieutenant whose name I will not mention again... Nowadays, in school activities, students sing the marches of the military branches they belong to, such as the Military Academy March, the Homeland March, the Artillery March, the Combat Engineering March, and the Infantry March.”

However, on the day this article by Şardan was published, a remarkable development occurred in the afternoon. The National Defense University Rectorate shared a video on its social media account showing the İzmir March being sung, with the caption “Cadets continuing their education at the National Defense University Military Academy.”

This was interpreted as a denial of Tolga Şardan's claim, but no official statement was made other than that video.

The situation is exactly as follows:

Before the presidential and parliamentary elections in May last year, the Military Academy administration decided that not only the İzmir March, but also the 10th Year March and the “We Are Atatürk’s Youth” March should not be sung until the elections were concluded, on the grounds that it “could mean a political message.”

However, except for private conversations, it was not stated so openly, and it was said, “No marches will be sung other than the Military Academy, Artillery, Combat Engineering, and Infantry marches.”

The students did not listen to this verbal instruction and continued to sing the İzmir March and others anyway. Upon this, the platoon commanders were frequently warned.

It will be remembered; following the investigation opened against the lieutenants who crossed swords and read the Officer's Oath after this year's graduation ceremony and said “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,” we shared some images from last year's celebration and ceremony.

These were images of the lieutenants singing the İzmir March, the Student Oath, and the Officer's Oath on the night of August 29, and gathering on the parade ground after the official graduation ceremony the next day, crossing swords to the accompaniment of the “We Are Atatürk’s Youth” March.

We learned that; after these celebrations last year, the verbal ban we described above was put into writing in October, meaning that instead of “These marches are banned,” it was said, “Only these marches will be sung.” But the students continued to sing the other marches as well. Allegedly, a defense was requested from a platoon commander, a first lieutenant, over this.

As for the video with the İzmir March published by the National Defense University Rectorate; the claim is that these images were shot in a rush with 3rd-year Military Academy students following Tolga Şardan's article.

There is no need for shadowboxing. Just as when it was revealed that the cover of the “Turkish Language Composition and Oratory Course” book, which was printed for distribution to 1st-year Military Academy students, did not show Southeastern Anatolia among the Turkish-speaking regions, both the National Defense University Rectorate and the Ministry denied this on one hand, and on the other hand announced that the editor of the book, Prof. Dr. Öztürk Emiroğlu, who had the cover that appeared on social media prepared by an outside graphic designer, resigned from his post on November 9, and that an administrative and judicial process had been initiated regarding the incident; let the truth about the march ban be explained as well!..

WHAT HAPPENED AT OTHER SCHOOLS

Since August 30, the Military Academy graduation ceremony and the dismissal of the lieutenants and their commanders have been on the agenda; it turns out that some things also happened at the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy, where the top graduates were women.

The ceremonies for these two schools were on August 31, and Erdoğan attended those ceremonies as well.

According to the allegations; the lieutenants who graduated from these schools also wanted to celebrate among themselves after the official ceremony, just like at the Military Academy.

However, after the incident at the Military Academy escalated, their commanders banned all kinds of activities after the official ceremony. Not content with this, the field was closed after the official ceremony, saying “Just in case,” and the lieutenants were taken to the school's kitchen.

The lieutenants who graduated from the Air Force Academy also gathered at the Çırağan Palace on the night of August 31, crossed swords, and sang marches.

PRECAUTIONS ALREADY TAKEN FOR NEXT YEAR

Let us share one last claim.

After the incident at the Military Academy, preparations for precautions for the ceremonies to be held next year have already begun. The first step taken in this context was as follows:

While the files of the lieutenants who will graduate have been sent to the Military Academy one week in advance until now, a decision has been made to send the files after the graduation ceremony from now on.

What does this mean? It is being said in advance, “Don't you dare attempt any indiscipline!..”

Look at the things we are dealing with and talking about while flames of war surround us?!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

December 2, 2024