Lieutenants: What will remain is Atatürkism

Müyesser YILDIZ / 12punto

The defense statements of the newly graduated lieutenants, who were referred to disciplinary action on the grounds that they chanted the slogan 'We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal', have been completed.

The High Disciplinary Board postponed the announcement in order to justify and have the decision regarding the lieutenants, whose defenses were heard, approved.

Following the defense process, the decisions to be taken by the high disciplinary boards will be prepared with justifications within 10 business days and shared with the public.

A press statement has been released by the lieutenants' lawyers regarding the process in question. Here is that statement:

RESPECTFULLY ANNOUNCED TO THE PUBLIC

The disciplinary investigation file, known in the public eye as the “Lieutenants' File” and closely followed by the Turkish Nation, was discussed on 16.01.2025 with the participation of our clients and us as their lawyers representing them. As a natural consequence of the fact that the disciplinary trial, which lasted nearly six hours, was not open to the press and that the reasoned decision, which will also include the defenses, has not yet been published, some words attributed to our clients' defense in the press and media outlets were reported in a way that could unintentionally cause misunderstandings because they were written without knowing their place and meaning within the entire defense. Contrary to the news that might imply that they reacted due to the disciplinary process conducted against them, our clients acted with dignity and within the rules of military courtesy and discipline befitting an officer during their defense. The members of the High Disciplinary Board also listened to our clients' defense carefully without asking any questions.

In their defense, our clients stated in summary that they had applied to their superiors in accordance with the regulations to recite the officer's oath, which has been recited at graduation ceremonies for 25 years, that their superiors gave an order that the officer's oath could not be recited in the graduation ceremony program due to the change made in the Ceremony Directive in 2023, that they did not recite this oath during the ceremony in accordance with the order, and that after the ceremony, when they met with their families on the field, upon the gathering of the spontaneously formed crowd for the traditional sword-crossing ceremony, the officer's oath was recited after the time period covered by the order given within the scope of the traditional oath-taking, marching, and collective recitation of aphorisms, that they did not have any political purpose in reciting the oath, and that they had no intent to disobey orders.

Furthermore, Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu stated in her defense; “Like all of her fellow soldiers who gathered after the ceremony, she is proud to be a soldier of Mustafa Kemal, because they were first classmates and then fellow soldiers of Mustafa Kemal, that the spirit of the Military Academy student within her is immortal, and that even if the ranks were to be taken from her shoulders, this spirit would live in her heart, and that the Military Academy badge would remain with her as a great honor”;

Lieutenant Talip İzzet Akarsu stated in his defense; “That he has always worked to be an officer worthy of the homeland and the nation, following in the footsteps of the Great Leader Atatürk and drawing inspiration from his words, ‘the value of an army is measured by the value of its officer and commander staff’, that as children of the Turkish future, they were born with honor, lived with honor, and will die with honor”;

Lieutenant Batuhan Gazi Kılıç stated in his defense; “That they are honorable Turkish officers loyal to the Turkish Armed Forces and Atatürkist, that they did not commit a crime, but that the uniform is not a prerequisite for serving the homeland, and that no one should doubt that they will never give up serving the homeland regardless of the decision to be made about them”;

Lieutenant Deniz Demirtaş stated in his defense; “That he had no other purpose than to be an officer worthy of the Turkish Nation, the Turkish Armed Forces, and the Republic, that what they experienced was insignificant compared to what the commanders who paid the price for the homeland in history experienced, and that individuals are transient, while what will remain is Atatürkism”;

Lieutenant Serhat Gündar stated in his defense; “That they did not embark on this path with anxiety about the future when entering the Military Academy, that they graduated as officers who adopted the motto ‘the value of an army is measured by the value of its officer and commander staff’, that the anxiety they felt while making their defense today was also not about the future, but that their anxiety was the possibility of not being able to pay their debt of service to the Turkish Nation, which raised them and deemed them worthy of this uniform and rank.”

As lawyers, we also made our defenses regarding the procedure and merits by evaluating the material facts and evidence, and stated that the elements of the alleged crime of behavior hindering service did not occur, and that the members of the High Disciplinary Board would also write their own history with the decision they will make in this trial, which is of great importance for the history of the Turkish Armed Forces, and we have requested that a decision be made that there is no place for punishment for our clients.

On this occasion, we once again express our gratitude to our citizens from all walks of life who have given us moral support since the day the disciplinary investigation began, to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and the bar associations that supported our clients with their statements, to the TBB President Mr. Atty. Erinç Sağkan who served personally in the defense, to the respected professors of the Faculties of Law who presented their knowledge and experience to the file with expert opinion reports, and to the members of the valuable press and media outlets who were the means for us to announce the justification of our clients. 17.01.2025

Respectfully announced to the public.

Atty. Abdullah Yasin ÜSTÜNDAĞ Atty. Çağlar ALTUN Atty. Demet Reçber ÖZTÜRK Atty. Ece ÜSTÜNDAĞ

Atty. Erhan TOKATLI Atty. Ersin KAYA Atty. İbrahim YILMAZ Atty. İlter AKSOYLU Atty. Dr. Mustafa GÜLER

Atty. Namık ÖZTÜRK Atty. Serdar ÖZTÜRK