New claim in coup trial: No diploma in Erdoğan’s military service file

Müyesser YILDIZ - 12punto

The hearing of the case, held by the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court at the Sincan Prison Campus, continued with the defense statements of the defendants against the opinion on the merits.

In today's session, former brigadier general Ahmet Bican Kırker, who made his defense via SEGBİS from Diyarbakır Prison, criticized the government, saying, "Tomorrow they will come out and say, 'The Menzil sect deceived us.' Be sure of this. Instead of calling the commanders on July 15—they were even told not to interfere—a call was made to the public." He also held the then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and the current Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak responsible for the bombing attack carried out on February 17, 2016, at Merasim Street, the heart of the General Staff, and made the following allegations:

"After the attack, our lodgings, Metin Gürak, Hakan Fidan, and Mahmut Karaaslan [the then-Ankara Police Chief] were put under surveillance. We thought the police were protecting us. It turns out they came to profile and track us. Merasim was done for that reason. Davutoğlu is still being used to stir up Iraq. We have boarded a vehicle and are heading toward the apocalypse. The main actors of this are the current, previous, and the one before that, Chiefs of General Staff."

WHO RECEIVED VOTES FROM THE OFFICER BALLOT BOXES?

Upon this, the Presiding Judge warned, "Make your defense without using the names of institutions, the Police, the Diyanet, this party, or that party. Avoid expressions that constitute a crime. Of course, criticize court decisions; but do not insult individuals or institutions."

Ahmet Bican Kırker replied, "If it is a crime, file a criminal complaint. I will tell it again. I would be happy to. I am explaining how the path to July 15 was paved. Let Metin Gürak come, let us ask these things. But they smuggled him away. They smuggled Hulusi Akar away. Are we not going to talk about these?" After saying this, he also explained the following regarding the June 7, 2015, election:

"The ballot boxes in Balgat and Devlet Mahallesi were merged. They separated the civilians. Only officers voted here. For example, they made Işık Koşaner, who should have voted in Balgat, vote in Devlet Mahallesi. They panicked when 70-72 percent of the votes from these ballot boxes went to the CHP. The TSK command staff was pressured under the pretext of FETÖ."

Claiming that Hulusi Akar, Hakan Fidan, Yaşar Güler, and Zekai Aksakallı paved the way to July 15, and using the term "these traitors" for the command staff of the period, Kırker said, "The TSK was a farm, a Dingo’s stable on the morning of July 15. Everyone was at weddings and celebrations."

"IF YOU ARE GOING TO HANG, HANG; WHAT IS THIS ABOUT PARADING IN UNDERWEAR?"

Before the afternoon session of the hearing began, Kırker and former Presidential Chief Aide Ali Yazıcı chatted via SEGBİS. Kırker stated that Ali Çağatay had addressed the statements belonging to Ali Yazıcı, which we reported the other day in the July 15 injuries case, on Sputnik, and asked if he was aware of it. Then the following dialogue took place:

Yazıcı: "Yes, there is a piece of filth named Ali Çağatay, he spoke against me. He doesn't say anything good about us."

Kırker: "He said he read your statement about Erol Olçok line by line."

Yazıcı: "Did he comment?"

Kırker: "He said the man has entered a complete cycle, has lost it, has snapped. He said none of what he said has any consistency."

After the hearing started, Kırker, who also told this to the Court panel, noted the following:

"So this is how what we say is understood. I am not as brilliant as Ali Yazıcı. But I am trying to understand and explain what kind of cycle we have fallen into. No truth can be revealed without cleaning out the fake heroes in this file. The only principle of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights that has not been violated in these trials is the right to rest and leisure. We are resting plenty. If you are going to hang, hang; what is this about parading in underwear? Whoever you do this to, it is impossible for that army to stand tall again."

"YOU HAVE DIGRESSED" WARNING REGARDING ERDOĞAN'S DIPLOMA

Arguing that a new regime was built on top of July 15 and that they were the victims of this process, and saying, "Where the Constitution is a doormat, one cannot speak of destroying the Constitutional order," Ahmet Bican Kırker also made the following claims regarding Erdoğan’s university diploma:

"You cannot play with a nation's intelligence to this extent, you cannot treat them like idiots. He cannot present his own diploma, he has others' diplomas canceled. His military service is fake, his CV in his file says he is a 4-year university graduate, but there is no diploma in his file."

Despite the Presiding Judge's warning, "You have digressed too much," Kırker continued his claim as follows:

"A man who entered university in 1978 goes to the military in 1984 with a 4-year university diploma. He has his photo taken at the Infantry School. Who is the company commander, who are his classmates? In 1992, he gives a 2-year institute temporary graduation certificate to his party's provincial organization. I don’t even believe he performed his military service."

At the end of his defense, referring to the Supreme Court of Appeals' determination that he was not a member of the so-called Peace at Home Council, Kırker said, "You want to acquit me, but I do not want to be acquitted. I want to be held responsible for the 251 martyrs and 3 thousand wounded," and concluded his words by reading Atatürk’s Address to the Youth.

The hearing will continue tomorrow.