They are even banned from attending weddings!..

After the graduation ceremony, the lieutenants who were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) for crossing swords among themselves, reciting the Officer's Oath, and declaring, "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal," have faced yet another incident that makes one say, "Enough is enough!"

Let me explain immediately.

As is known, the voluntary legal defense of these 5 lieutenants, as well as the lieutenants previously dismissed from the TSK due to the controversy over not wearing Atatürk photos during the November 10 Atatürk Commemoration ceremony at the Tuzla Infantry School, was undertaken by Abdullah Yasin Üstündağ, Çağlar Altun, Demet Reçber Öztürk, Ece Üstündağ, Erhan Tokatlı, Ersin Kaya, İbrahim Yılmaz, İlter Aksoylu, Mustafa Güler, Namık Öztürk, and Serdar Öztürk, most of whom are of military background.

You know Veteran First Lieutenant and Attorney Serdar Öztürk; he spent years in prison during the Ergenekon conspiracy.

Well, Attorney Öztürk married off his youngest son, Berkay, the other evening. The wedding was at the Officers' Club.

Naturally, Öztürk invited these lieutenants, whom he sees as his own children, to the wedding. Ebru Eroğlu, the top graduate of her class, even traveled from Istanbul to Ankara for the wedding.

But unfortunately, although they wanted to very much, none of them could attend the wedding.

Why, you ask?

Because beforehand, the General Staff requested a list of the guests. When it was seen that the lieutenants were on the list, it was reported that they could not enter the Officers' Club "because they were dismissed from the TSK."

Yes, those dismissed from the TSK cannot use social facilities... Retired soldiers who make the slightest criticism of the TSK are banned from entering Officers' Clubs... But it's a wedding and a guest, for heaven's sake... What is this about checking lists and saying "banned"?..

What is the reason for this beyond-bizarre decision? Let me explain that too.

You know retired Colonel Orkun Özeller. While serving at Incirlik Air Base, he refused a medal the US wanted to give him because they were patrons of the PKK. After he retired, he did not mince his words regarding both Syrians and border security, as well as the PKK, so he was banned from entering TSK social facilities.

Last year, Özeller was invited to a wedding at an Officers' Club by an acquaintance. He said he could not attend the wedding to avoid being turned away at the gate, reminding them that he had an entry ban for the officers' club. In the meantime, he inquired. Upon learning that guests do not have a right to benefit from military social facilities, that this is a right granted entirely to the wedding hosts, and therefore it is the wedding host who decides who will come and who will not, he decided to go. After passing through the gate by showing his civilian ID and attending the wedding, he made the following post for irony:

"I am at the Central Officers' Club. Don't panic, we entered with a normal ID card, hiding my military ID card for my friend's wedding invitation. It's like a comedy."

As we learned, whatever happened, happened after this. While an investigation was launched into the Officers' Club staff and some were dismissed, it was decided to check the guest list for the future. Thus, the practice of banning even those dismissed from the TSK from attending weddings at TSK facilities was implemented.

IT'S A WEDDING, A WEDDING

Because of this practice, the lieutenants were not allowed to attend the wedding of their lawyer Serdar Öztürk's son!..

Attorney Öztürk was very upset when he learned of the situation. There were a few days left until the wedding. The invitations had already been printed and distributed. He first tried to change the wedding venue, but could not find a suitable place. When he couldn't, he helplessly gathered the lieutenants and explained the situation.

Of course, the lieutenants were also very upset, both for Attorney Öztürk and for themselves. There was nothing to be done. They consoled Öztürk by saying, "We are together in good times and bad anyway. It's okay if we don't come."

I was very curious about how they felt about this treatment, so I asked one of them. They said the following, word for word:

"What hurts me is this; it's a wedding, a wedding, a wedding... I don't think it's the decision of the Minister of National Defense or the Chief of General Staff. It's the work of those below who are more royalist than the king. Okay, I accept it, you dismissed me from the TSK, okay, I'm a man of indiscipline; but can't I even go to the wedding of my spouse or friend?"

LIEUTENANTS ARE NOT THERE, ÜMİT ÖZDAĞ IS

Let's explain the absurdity of the practice with a striking example.

Among those attending the wedding was Zafer Party Chairman Prof. Ümit Özdağ, who was suddenly detained on March 20 on charges of "insulting the President," then arrested on charges of "inciting the public to hatred and hostility," and released after being sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison after being imprisoned in Silivri for 148 days.

Let there be no misunderstanding; we are not questioning how Özdağ was able to attend. We are just saying, "Is being a member of the TSK so difficult, is the price of being dismissed from the TSK this heavy?" Because the lieutenants' case is still ongoing. Perhaps the dismissal will be canceled and they will return; we want to draw attention to this.

IS THIS ALSO A GRAVE BAN?

Let's move on to another interesting event that happened three days ago.

July 3 was the 10th anniversary of the death of Rear Admiral Cem Aziz Çakmak, the North Star of the Navy, who was imprisoned in the Balyoz conspiracy and contracted lung cancer in prison.

On July 4, a commemoration ceremony was held at his grave in Karacaahmet Cemetery. The late Çakmak's wife, Sevgi Çakmak, noticed some people with cameras. She was curious and asked, and learned that they were police. It was the first time police had come to the ceremony held for 10 years.

She asked, "What's happening, why are you here?" They replied, "For public order."

After the speeches were made and the ceremony ended, as they were dispersing, do you know what one of those police officers asked Sevgi Çakmak?

Whether there were any active-duty personnel among the participants!..

Sevgi Çakmak laughed and said, "There are no active-duty personnel, they are all retired soldiers."

Those who understood, understood; it means that active-duty personnel going to a grave to commemorate their comrades-in-arms is also a kind of de facto "crime"!..

While the country is burning in a material and spiritual sense, do you see what some people are busy with, further burning our insides?!

Müyesser YILDIZ

July 7, 2025