Critical day for the lieutenants is tomorrow... Their statements revealed: 'The spirit of the military academy within us will never die'

The situation of the 5 lieutenants who took an oath by saying “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal” following the Military Academy graduation ceremony on August 30, 2024, will be clarified tomorrow.

The request for the dismissal of the lieutenants, including class valedictorian Ebru Eroğlu, from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will be decided by the High Disciplinary Board of the Land Forces Command.

The decision to be made for the lieutenants will be either “dismissal from the TSK” or “no grounds for dismissal.” This critical decision is expected to be taken following the defenses at the High Disciplinary Board. In their defenses, the lieutenants, who said “We are proud to be the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,” stated the following in their testimonies:

EBRU EROĞLU: The spirit of the military cadet within me will never die. Even if my rank is taken from my shoulder, I will keep this spirit alive in my heart.

İZZET AKARSU: I will always follow in the footsteps of the Great Leader Atatürk. Inspired by the saying, ‘The value of an army is measured by the value of its officer and commander staff,’ I have worked to be worthy of my country and my nation.

GAZİ KILIÇ: Whatever decision is made about me, I will never give up serving my country; let no one doubt that.

DENİZ DEMİRTAŞ: What I have experienced is insignificant compared to what commanders who paid the price for the homeland in history have experienced.

SERHAT GÜNDAR: My only concern is the possibility that I may not be able to pay my debt of service to the Turkish Nation, which raised me and deemed me worthy of this uniform and rank.

WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF THE LIEUTENANTS?

According to the report by journalist and 12punto columnist Müyesser Yıldız, the decision to be made by the High Disciplinary Board of the Land Forces Command will be in the direction of the dismissal of the lieutenants.