There are so many things that finger should be pointed at!..

So much has happened in one week. Let us write them down in order, saying, "We have noted it."

Last week today was November 10, Atatürk Commemoration Day.

Those who know, know; on national and important days, I check for the Turkish flag and Atatürk posters in public institutions.

That day, either a Turkish flag, an Atatürk poster, or both had been hung in almost all institutions.

Except for one. The buildings were completely empty; there was neither a flag nor Atatürk.

This institution was the Ministry of Interior, the General Directorate of Security, and the Gendarmerie General Command, located directly across from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), which had started the practice of hanging Erdoğan's poster next to the Turkish flag and Atatürk poster even before Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin. (Note: Last year, with the change of the Commander, the Erdoğan poster began to be hung.)

I was surprised. The reason was this:

On July 11, following the separatist terrorist organization's weapon-burning show, the Gendarmerie General Command and the General Directorate of Security, which have given the most martyrs, were the first to fulfill Erdoğan's instruction that "Every street, avenue, and household in Turkey should be adorned with our crescent-and-star flag." I know this because I pass by them almost every day, and the flags had been hanging on the buildings since that day.

With all my good intentions, I thought, "Perhaps they lost hope in the PKK laying down its arms and took down the flag. But it is interesting that it happened on this very day," and I decided to check again the next day.

Unfortunately, I was not wrong. I saw that giant flags had been hung again on the Ministry of Interior building, as well as the Gendarmerie and Security buildings.

So, the issue was not losing hope in the PKK, but November 10!..

Now, there may be those who make excuses like, "Sir, the flags are lowered to half-mast on November 10, so we removed the flags on the building." I would then remind them that almost all public institutions hung flags—with or without an Atatürk poster—and ask, "Which one is correct?"

Two more notes from November 10:

Retired Petty Officer Sabahattin Ünal, who has been on the front lines in actions against the plots targeting the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), went to Anıtkabir that day as always, wearing a scarf with the logos of Atatürk and Kadıköy TEMAD (Turkey Retired Petty Officers Association). The officials told him to leave it at the cloakroom. He reacted by saying, "Does this scarf bother you? I am going to commemorate my Ata (Father), I am not taking it off." After some radio traffic among the officials, Ünal reached Anıtkabir without handing over his scarf.

You know what has been happening at Anıtkabir in recent years. First, the roads were closed with sand trucks and police barriers. Even the soldiers participating in the official ceremony were searched. Soldiers whose names were not on the list sent from the Palace were not allowed in. After a while, the police barriers were slowly extended inward. Finally, this November 10, even the benches where the elderly sat while coming and going were closed off with barriers, and a chain of barriers was set up almost all the way to the Mausoleum.

It is unknown if barriers will be placed on the Mausoleum next time, but an unsightly and ugly image was created. What kind of precaution is this; what incident has ever happened at Anıtkabir until today?!

THE MOMENT TIME FROZEN AT COLONEL ORKUN'S TRIAL

I was at the Çağlayan Courthouse on Wednesday; I watched the trial of retired Colonel Orkun Özeller, who was arrested for opposing the "opening" process. I need to share a note that I could not share due to the rapid development of the decision process.

Veteran First Lieutenant Serdar Öztürk, one of his lawyers, stated that Orkun Özeller made his defense with very naive and elegant words, and then read the following post from the MHP during the first opening process:

"You cannot find anyone in the MHP who is bloodless, base, dishonorable, or of corrupt lineage who would support this."

He then said the following:

"Despite these expressions, the fact that a complaint was filed against Orkun Özeller has drawn a reaction in the eyes of the Turkish Nation. The Turkish Nation has made its decision. We will now see whether the decision you will make is in harmony with the Turkish Nation."

THE MOURNING OF OUR 20 SOLDIERS

On Tuesday, we were shaken by the news that our cargo plane crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border. When it was understood that 20 of our soldiers were martyred, we naturally expected a national day of mourning to be declared.

Unfortunately, they did not. Not only did they not, but an old AKP member, attempting to "teach the ignorant that the rank of martyrdom is not a situation to be mourned," hurled insults, saying, "In the Islamic creed, the rank of martyrdom is as honorable as the rank of the Companions. According to our faith, martyrdom is almost a 'festival' of the soul. What are you mourning, you faithless, senseless person!"

My answer is:

It was not long ago, 9 months ago, when Israel killed Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, did Erdoğan not declare a 1-day national mourning throughout the country and at our foreign missions, saying, "Due to the martyrdom of Haniyeh, in order to show our support for the Palestinian cause and our solidarity with our Palestinian brothers"? If there is no mourning in martyrdom, what was this?!

Yes, mourning was not declared, but for example, this happened:

In the areas where our martyrs' homes are located in Ankara, police went to entertainment venues and notified them to close.

As you know, before the official statement was made, the names of our soldiers who were martyred in the plane crash were shared by some social media accounts. Upon this, our Ministry of Defense stated that the accounts in question had been identified and that a criminal complaint had been filed against them, emphasizing the following:

"It is unfortunately a fact that the sanctions against such social media shameless people, who race to be the first to share martyr information without even caring about the pain of the martyrs' families, are insufficient."

THE PAKİZE MOTHER CASE

One day after the Ministry of National Defense complained about the lack of care for the pain of martyrs' families, Veryansın TV announced that at the funeral ceremony of our martyrs in Ankara, Minister Yaşar Güler reacted to Pakize Akbaba, President of the Istanbul Martyrs' Mothers Solidarity and Assistance Association, who said regarding the PKK opening, "You cannot forgive the murderer of our children. This is not your place. We do not want it in the Parliament," by pointing his finger at her and saying:

"This is not the place, do not be insolent. Do not speak insolently, there is a funeral here. You are a martyr's mother, that is all."

Four days have passed; there is no one who apologized, nor anyone who said, "Such an event did not happen"!..

The person in front of us is a martyr's mother... Even if they spat in our faces, we have no right to raise our voices...

I thought about this the most:

What if the doubt, "If I become a martyr tomorrow, will they treat my mother like this too?" has fallen into the mind of a single soldier on duty now?!

IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO POINT A FINGER AT THE DEM MEMBERS, POINT IT AT GREECE

The PKK commission established in the TBMM will hold its 17th meeting tomorrow. In addition to the Minister of Interior and the Head of MIT, Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler will also provide information.

Let us summarize the latest developments on the PKK-DEM front:

1- The minutes of the teleconference that the terrorist leader in Imrali held on May 2 with terrorists in Qandil and Syria and fugitives in Europe were revealed in recent days. The terrorist leader made delusions such as, "The validity of Lausanne is 100 years... Many PKK members will come to Turkey... This year is a year of disintegration for Turkey. If it does not develop a solution, it will have problems... I brought Bahçeli to this line... I will transform the state, I am determined." Sabri Ok, one of the PKK leaders who is told the fairy tale that he laid down his arms, also said, "If the necessary things are not done, no one will lay down their arms. We will not lay down our arms."

2- As if there are no negotiations with the PKK, Duran Kalkan, one of the terrorist leaders in Qandil, claimed that the basis of the second phase is "negotiations and legal steps," and challenged, "The process is a process of struggle. It will not happen by itself, it will not happen with agreements. No one will give anything to anyone. It will be won through struggle... It is either the peace and democratization that this process will bring, or it is disaster."

3- While Ankara was expecting the terrorist organization in Syria to lay down its arms and integrate into the Damascus administration, the SDF not only declared compulsory military service and mobilization but also organized a graduation ceremony for terrorists who were given bomb and weapon training in Jazira. The terrorist named Aldar Halil, who is wanted in the red category by Turkey and attended the so-called conference organized by the PYD in Qamishli, stated that they have been fighting for years and have made their existence accepted, and said that the Turkish constitution should be changed.

4- In the last two days, DEM co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, who participated in various events in Tunceli and commemorated Seyit Rıza, the ringleader of the Tunceli rebellion in 1937-1938, on the anniversary of his execution, claimed that "genocide was committed in Dersim." In other words, she accused Turkey and Atatürk of genocide.

What we will say is; those who have been emphasizing for months that the families of martyrs and our veterans will definitely not be hurt, should point their fingers at these things in the PKK commission tomorrow before Pakize Mother!..

Is it, "Heaven forbid the opening be harmed"?

If so; let them say to Greece, which mocks our 20 martyrs, "Do not be insolent. You are the ones we threw into the sea." Let them strongly condemn Norway, which lifted the arms embargo it applied to the Greek Cypriot side only 9 days ago, and give a diplomatic note...

Can these not be done either?

In his November 10 message, Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler drew attention to "our Eternal Commander-in-Chief and great statesman," noting his "epic War of Independence victory, his principles, his thoughts, his military genius, his visionary understanding of the state, and that he is a leader appreciated by the whole world."

On the same day, an article published against Atatürk in a pro-government media outlet was removed on the grounds of a "technical malfunction" and then republished the next day. In this article, it was claimed that Atatürk's "military career was below average," that he "did not record any military success other than Gallipoli," that his "ideas were far from originality and authenticity," that he "could not influence his era or other communities," and that "his ideas did not reach today."

Forget the index finger, if someone would at least point their little finger at him!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 17, 2025