The rebellion of a July 15 veteran: 'We have been betrayed'

In today's session of the case heard by the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court at the Sincan Prison Complex, the prosecutor read their opinion on the merits. The prosecutor requested the acquittal of former Presidential Chief Aide Ali Yazıcı, as well as Ayhan Çarık, Doğan Öztürk, Ertuğrul Terzi, İlhan Talu, Murat Aygün, Osman Ünlü, Ramazan Gözel, and Osman Kardal, on the grounds that it was understood they were not members of the so-called Peace at Home Council within the scope of the Supreme Court of Appeals decision and were not responsible for the injuries across the country.

The prosecutor requested that Halil Gül, Mehmet Şahin, Özcan Karacan, and Ünsal Coşkun be sentenced to 17 counts of attempted murder each on the grounds that they were unit managers at the Army Aviation Command, and provided an opinion for the dismissal of the case regarding former Brigadier General Ahmet Bican Kırker, the former Head of the Personnel Planning Department of the Land Forces Command.

Following the opinion, while the defendants and their lawyers requested time for their defense, Ali Yazıcı and Ahmet Bican Kırker made brief statements.

Former Presidential Chief Aide Ali Yazıcı said the following:

“My red lines are the state, the head of state, and our homeland. I am in love with this country, but the homeland has declared me a traitor. I love the President. For 10 years, I have been persecuted on the accusation of being a member of the Peace at Home Council. Look, the prosecutor also requested my acquittal. I have committed no crime. I must be acquitted of all charges and be allowed to go.”

“A HERO LIKE ORKUN ÖZELLER IS GOING TO PRISON”

Ahmet Bican Kırker, who attended the hearing via SEGBİS from Diyarbakır Prison, stated that he was trying to reveal the truths of July 15 and therefore wanted to be held responsible for all crimes in order to follow all the cases, and then said, “But now my acquittal is being requested. Numan Kurtulmuş had said, 'If the law had functioned, these cases would have lasted 30 years.' That is why we are being tried in such lawlessness.”

For the first time in a long while, a victim was seen attending a July 15 trial. This veteran was retired police officer Necmettin Utuş, known to have been wounded by gunfire while trying to stop a tank heading to the Presidential Complex during the coup attempt.

When Utuş stated that he wanted to ask Ahmet Bican Kırker a question, the Presiding Judge said, “There is no Q&A.” However, Utuş continued as follows:

“I was shot inside a tank at the Complex, I was left in the middle of the division. Did you give the order for these tanks to go out? 20-year-old students received life sentences, but the commanders who provided the ammunition became heroes. What kind of indictment is this, what kind of justice? Was I shot in vain? Those who hit this country, those who committed genocide are heroes, and we became traitors. F-16 jets are used in interstate wars, abroad. But these came and burned 56 of our friends alive at the Special Operations. This is officially genocide. Even though a war was waged against the Republic of Turkey, it was shown as a small coup, a terrorist attack, and covered up. As martyrs and veterans, we have been betrayed. There is no lawyer here defending our state, our Parliament. We have been left completely alone and abandoned. A hero commander like Orkun Özeller, who fought against terrorism, is going to prison. Where are we heading? We, all our martyrs and veterans who tried to save our state, are being treated like terrorists. But murderers who committed genocide like Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK have been declared heroes in courts. Lawless trials are being conducted.”

Ahmet Bican Kırker responded to Utuş as follows:

“I largely agree with what you said, and I applaud you. I had nothing to do with the entry and exit of the tanks. If he had followed the case, he would have known. But he should definitely listen to the defense I will make here. By the way, let me also state this; where has he been for two years? He only appeared when cases were filed against him.”

Upon this, Necmettin Utuş said, “I went to prison three times because those who shot us were the plaintiffs.”

After the statements were completed, the Court accepted the defendants' request for time for their defense and adjourned the hearing to June 15, 2026.

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 3, 2025