That Lieutenant Said This to the Commanders' Faces Too

Following the events at the Tuzla Infantry School during the November 10 Atatürk Commemoration ceremony, where a lieutenant alleged to be a member of a religious sect refused to wear an Atatürk pin, the grounds for the dismissal of 7 lieutenants from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) by the Land Forces Command High Disciplinary Board and the approval of Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler have been revealed. While it was learned that the unanimous dismissal decisions were taken on the grounds of "disrupting the atmosphere within the TSK," it was revealed that Lieutenant A.A., who did not wear Atatürk's photograph, not only reacted to the lieutenants who confronted him but also told the Regimental Commander, Colonel E.Ç., to his face that "he did not approve of what Atatürk did after 1923, especially the recitation of the call to prayer in Turkish," and that this lieutenant, who wanted to obtain a battery report, was taken to Tuzla State Hospital in a military vehicle.

The dismissal decisions, made by the Land Forces Command High Disciplinary Board (YDK) on January 18 and approved by Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler on February 8, have begun to be served to the 7 lieutenants.

Along with the 27-page reasoned decision, the lieutenants were sent the "Law on Works That Cannot Be Performed by Those Who Leave Public Service" as well as a "briefing note regarding the non-use of classified information and documents by personnel subject to separation and dismissal procedures, and the work they cannot perform."

In the section of the reasoned decision where the events are described, it was seen that the following details regarding A.A., who is stated to be a member of a religious sect, were included:

"A.A. stated, 'I can respect Atatürk up until 1923, but I do not respect Atatürk after 1923, I do not accept some of the things he did.' When asked what he did not accept, he said, 'He fought the War of Independence very well, but after 1923, he corrupted the religion and changed the language of the religion, which was Arabic, to Turkish. It was wrong to write the translation of the Quran in Turkish,' and after this, a scuffle broke out in the dormitory... After the commanders intervened in the events, Regimental Commander Colonel E.Ç., who summoned A.A., explained that unity and solidarity must be preserved, mentioning the wars currently taking place around our country. During this meeting, A.A. addressed the Regimental Commander and said that 'he did not approve of what Atatürk did after 1923, starting with having the call to prayer recited in Turkish,' and the Regimental Commander did not allow him to continue these words further, silenced A.A., and warned him to 'take his complaint regarding the scuffle, that he would initiate the necessary procedures, and not to enter into other arguments'... After A.A. declared to the company commander that he wanted to obtain a battery report, he was referred to the unit infirmary and from there to Tuzla State Hospital in a civilian-type military vehicle, accompanied by Infantry Lieutenant M.F.Ş.; the military vehicle returned to the barracks after dropping the personnel off at the hospital... According to A.A.'s own statement after the report, he went to the Tuzla Police Station to file a complaint upon the direction of the hospital police, and although he had been informed in a previous phone call with his superiors that they should complain to their immediate superiors rather than the police, they went to the police station anyway. It was determined that A.A.'s statement began to be taken as a complainant around 22:30, the duty prosecutor was informed, and as a result of the subsequent meetings, it was decided that the investigation of the military personnel would be conducted by the Central Command and the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation."

"THE EVENTS ARE A CONSCIOUS PROVOCATION"

In the High Disciplinary Board's reasoned decision, the defenses of the lawyers for the lieutenants who reacted to A.A. and his two friends were also summarized. Emphasizing that the disciplinary investigation was not conducted independently and impartially, that it was unlawful, and that the Land Forces Commander and the EDOK Commander had also expressed their opinions during the investigation phase, thereby prejudging the case, the lawyers stated:

"There is no doubt that the relationship between the sect-member lieutenants who caused the events to start and reach the press is beyond a simple class and dormitory friendship; it is an opposition to Atatürk, the Republic, and the current constitutional order. This situation is also proven by the confessed statements and actions of these individuals included in the file. This conclusion was also reached in the disciplinary investigation report. Furthermore, the way the events in the file emerged, and the joint actions and rhetoric of the three lieutenants mentioned during and after the events, raise the suspicion that the events were consciously planned and put into action with the aim of provocation, and that this plan also has extensions that go beyond the barracks. Otherwise, there is no other explanation for a lieutenant who is a graduate of the War Academy to insist on not wearing an Atatürk pin on a very special day like November 10, to openly declare that he does not like Atatürk after 1923, and to not hesitate to repeat these statements in the presence of the school commander, who holds the rank of Major General. The crimes attributed to our clients are not crimes that require dismissal from the TSK. The crimes for which an investigation is being conducted by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office (such as insult, threat, simple assault) are within the limits of the Deferment of the Announcement of the Verdict and do not fall within the scope of behavior that hinders service. They are also not actions that could damage the reputation of the TSK. Actions such as swearing at friends or fighting are not actions of such violence and severity that they would damage the reputation of the TSK. If it is claimed that the reputation of the TSK has been damaged, the responsibility for this lies with the lieutenants who did not wear the Atatürk pin, crumpled it, attacked the values of the Republic and the principle of secularism, and those who distorted these facts and reported on the lieutenants who reacted to those who insulted Atatürk as if they were coup plotters. As understood from the messages shared by the clients in the WhatsApp group, the real addressees are the sect sheikhs. It is understood that the messages do not have the intent or content of insulting beliefs and values, but rather refer to the religious understanding corrupted by sheikhs and their followers."

GROUNDS: DAMAGE TO THE MILITARY ATMOSPHERE

In the final section of the reasoned decision, after drawing attention to "the vital importance of establishing discipline and a military atmosphere for the TSK to fulfill the duties assigned to it with superior success in the future, as it has from the past to the present, as a strong, modern, combat-ready, effective, deterrent, and respected force," the assessment was made that the actions displayed against the lieutenants A.A., M.F.Ş., and F.A., who are alleged to be members of a religious sect, "damaged the legitimate hierarchical structure of the TSK, which is based on absolute obedience and discipline, and significantly harmed the sense of obedience within the unit, the established understanding of absolute discipline, the military atmosphere, and the spirit of comradeship and unity, which are among the fundamental values of the profession."

For these reasons, it was reported that it was decided by unanimous vote to impose the penalty of separation from the TSK, with the right to apply to the Administrative Court open, concluding that the lieutenants' actions constituted the "disciplinary offense of engaging in behavior that hinders service."