What does the TSK say about the terrorist leader initiative?

While the nation was in shock over MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli's call for the terrorist leader in İmralı to come to Parliament and call for the PKK to lay down its arms, Erdoğan was in Tatarstan for the BRICS Summit.

He had nearly 20 journalists with him. Not a single one asked Erdoğan about this initiative by Bahçeli, neither there nor on the return journey. Since we know the system a little bit by now, it would be more accurate to say it was “not allowed to be asked.”

On one hand, rhetoric about “state wisdom”… On the other, the silence of the head of state, Erdoğan.

As curiosity grew, it was announced that Erdoğan would speak at the AKP's Parliamentary Group Meeting.

But even there, Erdoğan did not touch upon this clear proposal by Bahçeli at all, instead delivering a speech consisting of generalities.

Somehow, a journalist showed the courage to ask Erdoğan about it as he was leaving the meeting. It was reported that Erdoğan did not understand the question at first, and later, when those around him said “right to hope,” he pointed to the path he was walking on, said “Let's open it up like this,” and continued on his way.

Fortunately, this time he did not delegate the task of answering the question to A Haber reporter Rüya Akkuş. Was Rüya Akkuş not there, or did Erdoğan not want to touch upon this subject, even indirectly?!

As will be remembered, some time ago, after Bahçeli shook hands with DEM Party members at the opening of Parliament and talk of a “moderate climate in politics” began following the statements made, a journalist asked, “Will there be a concrete step? Should we wait?” Erdoğan had asked Rüya Akkuş to answer this, and she had replied, “Let us maintain the moderate climate in politics without waiting for a concrete step!”

THE GENERAL STAFF'S VIEW FROM 10 YEARS AGO

You know how they talk about “state wisdom.”

When it comes to the fight against terrorism, one of the first institutions that comes to mind is the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces), right?

Even if no one asks the TSK anything anymore, I am sure you, like me, have wondered what this institution, which has the highest number of martyrs, thinks about Bahçeli's terrorist leader initiative.

Before giving the answer to this, let us recall the position of the General Staff and what they thought during the “solution process” (açılım-saçılım), when the negotiation table was set up with the terrorist leader in İmralı and soldiers and police were confined to their stations.

It was August 30, 2014; at the reception at the Çankaya Mansion, the then-Chief of General Staff, General Necdet Özel, said the following word for word:

“The government has a policy, and that policy is ongoing. We do not know the roadmap regarding the solution process; we are not part of that work. Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay had said that the work would be sent to public institutions, but nothing has been sent yet. If we see it, we will express our views. If our red lines are crossed, we will say what is necessary. We have been conducting this struggle for 30 years… Not being divided, integrity is important; this is the red line. We convey all our views regarding this to the government in every setting.”

Naturally, these statements by Özel made a lot of noise. The opposition reacted by saying, “Öcalan and the HDP know, but the TSK does not.”

The then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu gave this answer to Necdet Özel 15 days later:

“I met with the Chief of General Staff three times in the last week, 10 days... He had said at the August 30 reception, 'We do not know the process.' He cannot say the same thing now. We have discussed and talked about it in the National Security Council in the past as well.”

However, Özel spoke once more in December while receiving a group of disabled veterans. Veteran Lieutenant Alper Kür, who attended the reception, provided information that Özel had stated the following:

“Our commander, while stating that he had no knowledge regarding the process and that he had not been informed about this matter, expressed that they would not sit at the table with Öcalan... He used the sentence, ‘We cannot accept as an interlocutor someone we have been fighting for years.’”

''ENCOURAGING THEM IS A BETRAYAL TO 85 MILLION''

Following Necdet Özel, let us also record the assessment made by Hulusi Akar, who was first Chief of General Staff and then Minister of National Defense, regarding that “solution process” at a meeting just last year. In summary, he said;

“The solution process was created in 2013-2015, and it spoiled them. As if it were a weakness. The nobility and courtesy of the Republic of Turkey, and the opportunities and chances given to them, were abused. We do not want to experience that again. Because it caused us to lose a lot of time... There is no negotiating with terrorists. There is no trusting bandits... Encouraging them and giving them opportunities is a betrayal to 85 million... Returning to the beginning after giving so many martyrs is a betrayal to the martyrs. It means ignoring the blood of the martyrs and trampling on it.”

THE ANSWER THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED TO BE PUBLISHED

Before conveying what the Ministry of National Defense, i.e., the TSK, thinks today, let us state the following:

With the appointment of former Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar as Minister of National Defense, weekly press briefings began to be held. The briefings continue during Yaşar Güler's tenure as minister. As far as we have learned, the system generally works as follows:

First, MSB Press and Public Relations Advisor Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk makes the official statement. Then, he answers journalists' questions regarding the agenda. But the question-and-answer part is given as “MSB sources.”

Later, both the official statement and the question-and-answer section are turned into a text and sent to journalists, and they are asked to use this text. From time to time, there are parts, especially from the question-and-answer section, that are not included in the text. This means “those will not be written,” and the media complies with this. Deniz Zeyrek from Sözcü shared a striking example of this practice on October 4, regarding the fact that the answer given to a question about why the Solo Türk show was not held on the anniversary of the liberation of İzmir due to austerity measures, but was held at Teknofest, was not published.

In other words, there is another version of the system in the Palace at the MSB as well.

As for the reflection of MHP leader Bahçeli's terrorist leader initiative at the MSB;

Two days after Bahçeli's statement, there was a weekly press briefing at the MSB. Naturally, journalists asked about this in the question-and-answer section following the official statement.

The spokesperson gave an answer like, “We do not enter into political matters. We continue to perform the duties assigned to us.”

But the journalists who attended the briefing did not write this, they could not; because the question-and-answer section was not in the text sent by the MSB later!..

It is clear that expressing an opinion on such an important issue was not deemed appropriate.

Does this picture alone not show that there is no such thing as “state wisdom” in the middle?

If there is, then shouldn't one ask, “Is the TSK, which has given so many martyrs and is primarily responsible for the country's security, being sidelined again?”?!

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 4, 2024