In the Wake of Our Martyrs...

Last night was pitch black and long. We lost exactly six martyrs. We have just as many wounded soldiers.

The separatist terrorist organization PKK treacherously martyred Infantry Lieutenant Ramazan Günay, Infantry Specialist Sergeant Mehmet Serinkan, Infantry Specialist Corporal İsmail Yazıcı, and Infantry Contracted Privates Yasin Karaca, Çağatay Erenoğlu, and Emre Taşın in northern Iraq.

Yet, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had hosted the Iraqi Foreign and Defense Ministers in Ankara just three days ago, and after the inter-delegation meetings attended by National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and MIT Undersecretary İbrahim Kalın, the message was given that “the fight against the threats posed by the terrorist organization PKK will continue.”

Although, when Minister Fidan went to Baghdad and Erbil at the end of August, it was announced that the most important item on the agenda of those meetings was the fight against the PKK, that Fidan had asked his counterparts to include the PKK on their terror lists, and after the good news that Iraq would take a clear stance against the PKK, headlines like “Now let the PKK think!” were written!..

Last night, we saw that there has been no change on either the eastern or western front.

BREAKING IT TO US GRADUALLY?

How was the tragic news announced? Let us explain this hour by hour.

In a post made on the Ministry of National Defense's social media account at 22:07, it was stated:

“In the attack carried out by members of the separatist terrorist organization in northern Iraq on December 22, 2023, and the subsequent engagement, 3 of our heroic comrades-in-arms were martyred, and 4 of our heroic comrades-in-arms were wounded. The engagement continues within the scope of operations against the separatist terrorist organization in the region. Sudden air operations have been carried out against the identified targets and the escape routes of the terrorists. According to initial determinations, 4 terrorists have been neutralized.”

At 00:33, it was announced that three of our wounded soldiers had also succumbed to their injuries despite all interventions and had fallen as martyrs.

Six hours after that announcement, the names and photos of our six martyrs were shared.

WHY DID I WARN 12PUNTO?

Let me come to what happened on the front of us journalists after this official information.

I first saw that we had six martyrs on 12punto. The time of the news titled “6 of our soldiers, one a lieutenant, were martyred” was 20:42. I looked left and right with sadness and anxiety. Except for a few local sites, there was no news about this anywhere.

When I was arrested and tried in 2020 on charges of “engaging in political and military espionage,” I was subjected to accusations such as why I reported martyr news before the Ministry of National Defense made an announcement, so I immediately called our Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi. I explained this incident that happened to me and warned them to state the source of the news, otherwise they could face accusations of “disinformation,” and I suggested that they wait for the MSB's statement.

After the MSB's statement at 22:07, all media -including 12punto- reported the news of our three martyrs.

IF I MAY BE SO BOLD

As is known, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler held a meeting for media representatives in Ankara last week and explained the activities of 2023. At this meeting, while answering a question about what happened at the Tuzla Infantry School, he drew reactions when he used the phrase “the photograph he should have hung” instead of Atatürk.

Upon this, MSB sources said the day before yesterday, “It is no one's place to try to question the love of Atatürk and the commitment to Atatürk of our Turkish Armed Forces and our Honorable Minister.”

Now, “if I may be so bold,” but encouraged by Minister Yaşar Güler's words at last week's press conference, “We will share every event with you, even if it is 100 percent against us. We will not take a step back from this in any way. Today, you cannot hide anything in Turkey or in any country in the world. We are ready to share everything sincerely and transparently with the media and bear the consequences. We will not hide anything,” I must record the following.

Before the Ministry of National Defense announced not just our six martyrs, but even our three martyrs, posts in the format of a short report regarding the attack had already been shared on social media. These posts described how the terrorists attempted to infiltrate the temporary base area in Hakurk, gave the time of the incident, and listed the names of our six martyrs one by one. The posts also provided information that 6 of our soldiers -one being an Infantry Major- were wounded. Moreover, some images and audio recordings regarding the clash were also circulated.

When the official statement was made, we saw that the martyr names mentioned in these posts were exactly the same.

Okay, the identities of our martyrs are not announced until the tragic news is delivered to their families; but shouldn't we also ask this?

“Why was the fact that we had martyrs announced so late and almost in batches?”

WHAT MEETING IN WASHINGTON WHILE OUR SOLDIERS WERE BEING MARTYRED?

Let me convey another incident regarding last night that will hurt us deeply.

Isn't it primarily the USA that feeds, grows, and protects the PKK terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria?

For the AKP government, terror is also a “red line”... So much so that it labels the slightest dissenting voice inside as a “terrorist”; but no matter what the USA does, it does not damage their relations!..

It is this very USA that recently conducted a joint exercise with the PKK/YPG in Syria again... Moreover, in the same days, it prepared a “Rojava Constitution” for the YPG under the name of a “Social Contract.”

Ankara heard about the exercise, if not the so-called constitution!..

The subject was asked to National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler at the press conference: “Is enough reaction being given to the USA?” His answer was:

“Even the fact that an ally of ours is in contact with a terrorist organization is not something that can be accepted. After all, we are allies in NATO. We have no reservations about anyone. We clearly express what we have to say at NATO and similar meetings, starting with our President. We emphasize in every environment that what our allies are doing in Syria is unacceptable. Let no one mock our intelligence. None of the activities they carry out with YPG terrorists are acceptable. I said before that they are training terrorists to use helicopters. They held an exercise with terrorists again within the last week. We are following every development closely. There is no acceptable side to this situation.”

So what happened last night?

While clashes are continuing in northern Iraq and we are giving martyrs; the Ministry of National Defense announced on its social media account at 18:44 in Turkish, and one minute later in English, that the “Turkey-US High-Level Defense Meeting was held in Washington” and stated the following:

“In the meeting held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, negotiations and exchanges of views were held on regional and international security issues, as well as bilateral defense, military training, and defense industry cooperation. The next meeting is planned to be hosted by the Republic of Turkey next year.”

In short; while Ankara continues to “explain that what its allies are doing is unacceptable,” our “ally” continues to “mock our intelligence,” is that it?!

Their work? Here are our martyrs!..

Never mind giving F-16s... Never mind Israel stopping its attacks on Gaza...

No, sir; after these last six martyrs, you are obliged to tell the USA, “Sweden cannot be a NATO member for a lifetime unless it cuts its support for the PKK/YPG.” PERIOD!..

I wish God's mercy upon our martyrs and a speedy recovery to our wounded soldiers. My condolences to the Turkish Nation.