Martial law-like measures at the Military Academy!

There are interesting details in the Administrative Investigation Report regarding the lieutenants who are facing an investigation for crossing their swords and chanting, "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" after the Military Academy graduation ceremony on August 30.

First, let us state this:

According to the records in the report, the date of the first letter sent by the Ministry of National Defense to the Military Academy regarding the matter is September 4.

What is the significance of this date?

Just two days prior, the same Ministry of National Defense had denied the news that an investigation had been launched into our lieutenants.

[https://muyesseryildiz.com/2024/11/24/tegmenlerin-komutanlarinin-sucu/]

It seems that they changed their minds within two days!..

No Crime, Yet There Is Punishment

Let us get to the main details.

In the investigation report, after describing the "manner in which the incident occurred" and including "the legislation, documents, information, and evidence related to the incident," the following findings were made under the heading "Measures taken at the scene after the incident," stating: "Due to the nature and development of the incident, no measures were taken immediately after the incident":

"There is no personnel or equipment damaged in the incident... No criminal file regarding the incident has been created and sent to judicial authorities."

Now, one might ask; if there is no damaged personnel or equipment in the incident, why is it being sought to dismiss the lieutenants; who is the damaged party?..

Or, if there is a very serious "crime" that requires dismissal, shouldn't it have been requested that a judicial investigation be conducted into the lieutenants as well?!

Let us continue.

Following these findings, the following recommendations were made "to prevent similar incidents":

- Detailing ceremony orders and disseminating them down to the lowest level.

- Taking necessary measures to ensure that lieutenants do not return to the field to engage in similar behaviors after the ceremonial march is completed and they have left the area.

- Including families and gatherings in the most detailed manner in rehearsals for the ceremony.

- Ensuring that platoon and company commanders command and control the group at times and places where military cadets are gathered in groups.

- Informing personnel about the timely transmission of information received by subordinates to their superiors and the operation of the "Effect-Reaction Report" system.

- Planning training for all personnel to increase awareness regarding the TAF Disciplinary Law.

- Providing training to military cadets on the procedures and principles of military ethics.

- Making detailed planning for the responsible personnel in all types of activities.

- Reviewing the activities of military cadets regarding the use of smartphones and social media in line with existing orders.

- Creating control forms that will explain the activities to be carried out by the responsible personnel.

- Taking additional measures regarding the use of military property.

- Ensuring that the personnel assigned as platoon commanders are selected by taking into account the personnel records of the graduating lieutenants.

- Making a legislative change so that the commissioning of military cadets who are undergoing judicial and disciplinary proceedings is not carried out as of August 20, and that their commissioning is carried out according to the result of the proceedings.

We asked the military cadets what two of these mean: "smartphone and social media use" and "not commissioning military cadets who are undergoing judicial and disciplinary proceedings as of August 20."

The smartphone issue is as follows:

Previously, lieutenants caught with smartphones were given a two-weekend leave restriction penalty and 6 points were deducted from their disciplinary score.

After that celebration by the lieutenants on August 30, a decision was made to refer those caught with smartphones to the Regimental Disciplinary Board.

Because it is a board decision, the leave restriction penalty was increased to three weeks, and the points deducted from the disciplinary score were increased to 21.

Again, while until today, lieutenants were considered to have graduated as officers as of August 20 and their files were sent to the Land Forces Command, in accordance with the new decision, a practice has been adopted where the graduation of those against whom judicial and disciplinary proceedings are initiated is postponed until these proceedings are concluded, and they are kept at the schools.

In short; there is no official decision yet that the 5 lieutenants and three commanders whose dismissal from the TAF is sought have committed a "crime"; but all kinds of "measures" have been taken to ensure that the lieutenants at the Military Academies do not engage in "indiscipline" such as crossing swords, chanting certain marches, or saying "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" even among themselves from now on!..

Best wishes to the nation and the country.

Müyesser YILDIZ

January 3, 2025