It Is Not Just a “Photograph”... It Is Atatürk!..

The allegations and information regarding the events that took place at the Tuzla Infantry School during the November 10 Atatürk Commemoration Ceremony continue to emerge.

When the incident first came to light, the Ministry of National Defense described it as “a clear example of disinformation” on one hand, while announcing that judicial and administrative processes had been initiated regarding the matter on the other.

We wrote about what happened afterward; an administrative investigation was conducted, and the dimensions of the incident were revealed. It was understood that the claims of the main protagonist, trainee Infantry Lieutenant A.A., that he did not wear the Atatürk pin because he lacked a safety pin and was subsequently assaulted, did not reflect the truth. Ultimately, it was reported that both A.A. and his two friends, as well as the 4 lieutenants who reacted to them, were suspended from the school and all were referred to the High Disciplinary Board with a request for dismissal from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

However, the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak, while creating a narrative of a “lieutenant junta” from this incident and supporting the anti-Atatürk lieutenants, directed incredible accusations at the other side.

FIRST MESSAGE: “MAY OUR CAUSE BE BLESSED”

First, let us share the information we have newly obtained.

According to the allegations, A.A., who refused to wear the Atatürk photograph, filed a 90 thousand lira compensation lawsuit on November 26 against those who reacted to him, and a hearing date was set for January 11 with jet speed... Their legal representation was undertaken by the lawyers of a sect member well-known to the public.

A voice recording of a trainee lieutenant saying, “We are Nurcu,” on the phone has been entered into the investigation file.

The first message shared in the WhatsApp group established by the individuals in question, named “Dostlar Meclisi Piyade Okulu Hubb-i fillah” (Friends Assembly Infantry School Love for God), was “May our cause be blessed.” Posts were made in this group expressing their desire for religiously-based education. Once all of this came to light, the relevant WhatsApp group was shut down.

In an investigation conducted by a Brigadier General, they also clearly stated that they respect Atatürk's military identity, but do not subscribe to his post-Republic revolutions.

Even before the November 10 ceremonies, these posts and actions of the group in question were reported multiple times to the deanship, and from the deanship to the rectorate; however, not only was no action taken, but shortly thereafter, Dean G.Y. was forced to leave the school.

And the allegations put forward in Yeni Şafak's news article titled “Lieutenant Junta” were entirely based on the accounts of A.A. and his friends.

COULD THE MINISTER NOT HAVE ASKED, “WHY DID YOU SPREAD DISINFORMATION?”

Now let us come to the statement made by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler regarding the incident.

At the 2023 evaluation meeting he held for the Ankara representatives of press and broadcasting organizations the other day, he said the following:

“It is an incident that occurred on November 10. One of our student officers does not wear the photograph he is supposed to wear on his lapel and puts forward an excuse like, 'I don't have a safety pin.' An argument breaks out between him and the students who reacted to him. All of them were temporarily suspended from duty. We will announce the decisions to be made by the court and the High Disciplinary Board regarding the incident. The officials deemed responsible were also suspended from duty. The conclusion of the judicial process should be awaited.”

What does “the photograph he is supposed to wear on his lapel” mean?

As if it were an ordinary photograph!.. What is in question is the photograph of Atatürk, the founder and leader of the Republic of Turkey!..

Although this rhetoric has not been used for a while, in the beginning, both Minister Yaşar Güler and the MSB Spokesperson, when describing the TSK, emphasized that it would continue to carry out its duties “under the guidance of reason and science, and in line with Atatürk's principles and revolutions.”

Therefore, I checked all the news reports one by one, suspecting that perhaps Minister Güler said “Atatürk photograph” but the media reported it as “the photograph he is supposed to wear.” No, the same expression was in all of them, as well as in the text posted on the MSB website.

I said “in all of them”; but for some reason, these words of Güler were not included in two of the government's powerful newspapers. The first of these was Sabah, and the other was Yeni Şafak, which conjured a “lieutenant junta” from the Tuzla Infantry School.

A remarkable coincidence, isn't it?

Let us open another heading for Yeni Şafak.

The MSB had called the first allegations that came to the agenda regarding the incident at the Tuzla Infantry School “disinformation”; so why was the “lieutenant junta” news that this newspaper gave on its front page not called “disinformation”? Because we saw that no such formation was mentioned in the report prepared as a result of the investigation.

Yeni Şafak's representative was also at Minister Yaşar Güler's press conference. Wouldn't it have been good if Minister Güler had at least asked him, “Why did you spread this disinformation?”

FIGHTING “FETÖ”... WHAT ABOUT THESE?

Let us finish with these words of Minister Yaşar Güler from that same meeting:

“In line with the information and documents obtained, our fight against FETÖ continues with great sensitivity. Our fight against the treacherous organization will continue uncompromisingly and decisively until not a single affiliated personnel remains.”

Yes, this may be how the fight against “FETÖ” is being conducted; but what about the fight against those who follow in the footsteps of “FETÖ's” intentions and methods?

As seen in the example of the Tuzla Infantry School, what about that?!