Lieutenants Made to Sing 'Century of Turkey' Anthem at Official Ceremony... During Interrogation, They Were Asked, 'Can Female Cadets Pray?'...

Issues never heard of before were brought to the agenda at the Land Forces Command High Disciplinary Board (YDK), where the situation of 5 lieutenants, who face expulsion for crossing swords and saying “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal” after the Military Academy graduation ceremony, was discussed. For example, during the investigation, Lieutenant Talip İzzet Akarsu was asked off-the-record, “Do you believe in deism? Can female cadets pray?” Furthermore, during the official part of this year's graduation ceremony, the lieutenants were made to sing the 'Century of Turkey' anthem, which is not in the directive. Attorney Mustafa Güler, who brought this to the agenda, stated, “If there is anyone acting against the directive, the National Defense University must first judge itself,” while it was learned that the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces Command, who is the President of the YDK, took note of the claim that “The 'Century of Turkey' anthem was sung.”

The Land Forces Command High Disciplinary Board meeting, which almost everyone was waiting for with bated breath, lasted 6 hours.

First, let us convey the atmosphere of the meeting.

The YDK President and members sat at a large V-shaped table, while the lieutenants and their lawyers sat in a separate section directly opposite the President.

The meeting was adjourned 4 times. The longest break was after the defense of Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu and her lawyers. Tea and pastries were served during the breaks. The YDK President and members did not ask the lieutenants a single question; however, they listened carefully without interrupting anyone. Turkey Bar Association President Erinç Sağkan thanked the committee for this sensitivity.

EBRU EROĞLU CRIED

The first defense was made by the class valedictorian, Ebru Eroğlu. In her 5-6 minute defense, Eroğlu stated that the ritual performed after the official ceremony was not planned, saying:

“If we had planned it, I wouldn't have announced it over the microphone. It happened in the moment; those who were available came. At that time, there were also those who were proposing marriage by passing under swords.”

After emphasizing that her only sorrow was not being able to serve the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), Eroğlu cried and said, “They may take my ranks. But they cannot take the Harbiye badge on my chest. Because I graduated from there. I entered as the top student, and I graduated as the top student.”

Eroğlu's emotional state and these words also brought the approximately 20 lawyers present in the hall to tears.

QUESTIONS ASKED TO LIEUTENANT AKARSU DURING THE 8-HOUR INTERROGATION

The other lieutenants also expressed that they entered the Military Academy not out of concern for their future, but out of love for their homeland, nation, and flag, and that they were not defending themselves out of concern for their future now, but only out of concern about being kept from serving the nation. All of the lieutenants also used the phrases, “We are on the path of Atatürk, we are the soldiers of Atatürk.”

One of the most important statements was made by Lieutenant Talip İzzet Akarsu, the senior cadet of the regiment, who was accused of planning this “act” together with Ebru Eroğlu. He emphasized that during the investigation, he was shown a statement allegedly belonging to Ebru Eroğlu and asked, “Ebru told these things, what do you say?” but that there was no such statement belonging to Ebru Eroğlu in the file, meaning they wanted to make him speak based on a statement that was not real. Furthermore, stating that he was interrogated for 8 hours without a break, Akarsu conveyed that the committee asked the following, saying, “This will be off-the-record, it will not be recorded”:

“Do you believe in deism?.. Can female cadets pray? How do they pray?”

THE COMPANY COMMANDER WAS ALSO PRESSURED FOR 4 HOURS

Another remarkable statement at the YDK meeting came from Lieutenant Serhat Gündar, who was at the Artillery School with Ebru Eroğlu. Gündar said that the School Commander called Eroğlu's Company Commander to work over the weekend and pressured him for 4 hours to change his opinion.

IS THE COMMAND STAFF OF 2060 BEING SHAPED?

At the YDK, the lawyers also made historic defenses, just like the lieutenants.

Drawing attention to the phrase in the Officer's Oath read by the lieutenants, “The hands that reach for the honor and dignity of the Great Turkish nation and an inch of the sacred homeland will find us against them,” Attorney Demet Öztürk made the assessment, “But unfortunately, the TSK remained silent in the face of attacks on the honor and dignity of an officer who is still on duty; it did not stand by the officer, it did not defend him.” Arguing that Erdoğan was also misled regarding the crossing of swords, Attorney Öztürk said, “If those around him had said this was a ritual, events would not have reached this point.”

While Attorney Namık Öztürk pointed to the importance of the decision to be made and the responsibility for it, he noted that the information and documents in the current file were sufficient to make a decision of “no grounds for separation from the TSK,” and that otherwise, the result of the criminal complaint they filed with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the pressure placed on the reporting officers to change their opinions should be awaited.

Attorney İbrahim Yılmaz spoke as follows:

“While the lieutenants are defending themselves against the accusation of not following orders, at the same time their commanders are answering the accusation of 'Why didn't you give an order?' at the Ministry of National Defense High Disciplinary Board. This should have been discussed as a single file. However, it was separated into two separate files. We believe this was done so that the truth would not come out.”

Attorney Ersin Yılmaz stated that these lieutenants are the officers who will form the command staff of the year 2060, and said, “That is what is being shaped right now.”

CLAIM THAT THE 'CENTURY OF TURKEY' ANTHEM WAS SUNG

Attorney Mustafa Güler, who made the longest defense, explained how the Military Academy was founded, starting from the period of Selim III, and then said:

“We read everything about history; from the texts of the oaths to the food they ate, to the lessons they studied. Today's history will also be written, but it will not be written as 'An order was given, they committed an act of indiscipline,' it will be written as 'They were judged because they said we are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal.' You will also be written as those who judged. Go ahead, write your own history.”

Explaining in his defense that he learned that the 'Century of Turkey' anthem was made to be sung by the lieutenants during the official part of this year's graduation ceremony, Attorney Güler concluded his words as follows:

“The lieutenants are being judged for reading an oath that is not in the directive after the official ceremony ended. However, the 'Century of Turkey' anthem, which is not in the directive, was made to be sung at the official ceremony. If there is a violation of the directive, the National Defense University should judge itself first.”

It was learned that the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces Command, who is the President of the YDK, took note of Attorney Güler's claim that “The 'Century of Turkey' anthem was sung.”

Müyesser YILDIZ

January 16, 2025