Who did the colonel who 'frightened' Hulusi Akar call a 'FETÖ member and fraudster'?

Former Staff Colonel Fırat Alakuş, who was accused of seizing then-Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar during the July 15 coup attempt and taking him to Akıncı Air Base—and whom Akar described as a “frightening military figure”—has alleged that both Akar and former Special Forces Commander (ÖKK) Zekai Aksakallı are both “FETÖ members” and “fraudsters.” Claiming that there is a connection between the December 17/25 corruption operations and July 15, Alakuş requested that the Halkbank files be requested from the USA and the Babek Zanjani files from Iran, as they constitute new evidence. He also demanded that the then-General Manager of Halkbank, Süleyman Arslan, his deputy Hakan Atilla, four ministers, as well as Ahmet Davutoğlu and Ali Babacan, be heard as witnesses.

During the General Staff “Main Case,” which is being retried at the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court in the Sincan Prison complex following the Court of Cassation’s partial reversal decision, former Staff Colonel Fırat Alakuş, who served as the acting commander of the 2nd Special Forces Brigade of the ÖKK at the time, defended himself for two days, stating: “I am not a member or leader of a terrorist organization. I am certainly not a coup plotter.” He explained the following:

“I was subjected to lynching and summary execution due to Hulusi Akar’s ‘frightening’ slander. Murat Korkmaz and Halit Kazancı, who came to the General Staff that night, are my subordinates. I am responsible for the ÖKK personnel under my command, and the responsibility for the military operation carried out belongs to me. The personnel under my command are innocent. What happened was a conspiracy by three fraudsters. First and foremost, Zekai Aksakallı, who assigned me the task, slandered me to find a scapegoat and save himself. The target of the coup was political leaders and institutions. As the ÖKK, which politician have we ever taken action against? The task assigned by Zekai Aksakallı was a reinforcement duty to ensure security, similar to the activities during the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meetings against DAESH actions targeting the headquarters. I received this task and assigned it to my subordinates. Murat Korkmaz and Halit Kazancı are Zekai Aksakallı’s most trusted men. It is impossible for me to give them orders without his permission. Furthermore, they have committed no act that constitutes a crime. What kind of coup plotter is Murat Korkmaz that he obeys the orders of police officers while coming to the General Staff and does not return fire even though his personnel are being shot at? He passes in front of the Turkish Grand National Assembly but does not go there. Can a coup be carried out at the General Staff? My person and my unit were trapped as part of a larger plan and were made scapegoats and punished as a result of the conspiracy statements of three fraudsters—Zekai Aksakallı, Hulusi Akar, and the confessor secret witness former colonel Hakan Bıyık, who turned out to be FETÖ members or crypto-FETÖ members—and the support of certain members of the judiciary. Zekai Aksakallı sacrificed his personnel to clear his name and guarantee his personal future. There were other units that came to reinforce the General Staff. However, while they were only judged at the command level, everyone in our unit was judged. If anyone is to be judged, it should be me. This lawlessness is enough. The winners of July 15 are Hulusi Akar, Yaşar Güler, and Zeki Aksakallı. The reason Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan are not brought to court is to prevent the truth from coming out.”

“Is There a Penalty for Frightening Someone?”

Stating that July 15 is called a “coup” even though there was no plan, junta, coup action, or Peace at Home Council, Alakuş continued:

“Only Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş says he is a coup plotter. Mehmet Partigöç says, ‘If I had carried out a coup, it would have been successful.’ There is a strange coup here. A coup is not done this way. I am also accused of the assassination attempt on Erdoğan. Chief Aide Ali Yazıcı was close enough to prick him with a pin, but I am the one who will carry out the assassination. I wonder what the prosecutor who wrote this is drinking? I have nothing to do with assassination fantasies. On what basis did you make me a member of the Peace at Home Council? I became a leader because Hulusi Akar called me ‘frightening.’ He buried me in history. Furthermore, Akar has two different statements, with 20 changes between them. How can this be explained? Having two statements with the same date and number is forgery, fraud, and complicity. Who is cowardly, timid, scared, chicken-hearted, or frightening? Is there a possibility that I frightened Hulusi Akar? It is impossible. If he was frightened, what is the scale and nature of it? Is there a provision for ‘frightening’ in the Turkish Penal Code? I wonder what the Constitutional Court would decide on this matter. What Hulusi Akar is doing is exactly suppressing the crime with bluster. The judiciary’s effort to cover up the Hulusi Akar case is also incomprehensible. Hulusi Akar is trying to make members of the judiciary accomplices. They do not see or hear any of the nonsense Hulusi has committed. One must applaud this exceptional hero.”

“More Donkeys and Monkeys Are Coming... I Cannot Allow This”

Some of the expressions and visuals used by Alakuş in his defense drew the reaction of the Presiding Judge.

The Presiding Judge, who frequently warned him by saying, “You are going too fast, you are saying ‘looters, thieves, idiots.’ Be careful... You are like a ticking time bomb,” also opposed Alakuş’s claim that there was a connection between July 15 and the December 17/25 corruption operations, saying, “What you are describing has nothing to do with the case.”

Alakuş replied that December 17/25 was mentioned many times in the indictment, the reasoned decision, and the Court of Cassation ruling, saying, “It is very relevant. It is the beginning of the coup case.”

Upon this, the Presiding Judge said, “I do not want a political defense, I do not allow it. Just because you say it exists does not mean there is a causal link. I also do not want photos, analogies, insults, derogatory remarks, and visuals,” and then recorded this warning in the minutes with the phrases, “he was warned not to make statements that damage the honor and dignity of politicians and the judiciary” and “he was making political statements.”

However, when Alakuş continued to dwell on the December 17/25 operations and make certain analogies, the Judge reacted as follows:

“You are still continuing. ‘Angut’ (ruddy shelduck/idiot), ‘crow’; these analogies contain insults. We are removing these from the screen. This cannot go on like this. I have seen your defense; more donkeys and monkeys are coming. I cannot allow this. There cannot be such a defense. You are not taking us seriously either. I will not allow crimes to be committed or insults to be made. From now on, I do not allow you to use slides either.”

Upon the objection of Alakuş’s lawyer, Ayşe Nesibe Özer, who said, “There is no insult. He is talking about the characteristics of some living creatures. If he wants, he can tell jokes for two days. If there is a crime, the Prosecutor can file a criminal complaint,” the Judge explained, “There are insults and analogies. Since I have seen his defense, there are heavier ones to come. I do not allow it. It has been rejected unanimously. He will make comparisons to donkeys and monkeys, he will say ‘He whose guide is a crow will not get out of the nose.’ We are not restricting the defense. Everyone is listening to what he says, they do not need to see them.”

“Let Zafer Çağlayan Go to the USA and See”

After the break given due to these arguments, Fırat Alakuş continued his defense, saying, “I am being tried for being an organization leader. Am I not going to answer these?” and then spoke again about December 17/25, voicing the following claims:

“This case was not brought by a stork. There is a process that started in 2013. July 15 is the warding off of December 17/25. July 15 was staged so that the fate of the 8.5 billion dollars would not be revealed. The government viewed the bribery and corruption investigations as a matter of survival. It is not me who violated the Constitution, it is the government. Both the information and documents regarding Reza Zarrab and the Halkbank case constitute new evidence. Let Zafer Çağlayan try his luck; let him go to the USA to see Disneyland. Let us understand how things work in countries where the rule of law prevails.”

After asking, “Who is the political instigator and the political wing of July 15?” Alakuş demanded that the Halkbank files be requested from the USA and the Babek Zanjani files from Iran, and also requested that the then-General Manager of Halkbank, Süleyman Arslan, and his deputy Hakan Atilla, as well as four ministers, Ahmet Davutoğlu, and Ali Babacan, be heard as witnesses.

Fırat Alakuş’s lawyer, Ayşe Nesibe Yazar, commented, “He managed to frighten the great Chief of General Staff with the rank of colonel,” and played footage of Hulusi Akar inspecting a restaurant, saying, “He was so scared that its effect only came out years later.” Lawyer Yazar also noted that while Abdullah Öcalan, who is responsible for the deaths of 40 thousand of our people, was given one aggravated life sentence, Alakuş was sentenced to 138 aggravated life sentences.

Alakuş’s other lawyer also asked, “Even though Akar worked with my client and addressed him by his surname, why did he act as if he was seeing him for the first time that night?”

Müyesser YILDIZ

May 8, 2026