Retired General Saldıray Berk has passed away

Known for his Kemalist identity, Saldıray Berk was recognized for his stance and struggle against FETÖ conspiracies during his time in office.

12punto columnist and journalist Müyesser Yıldız shared the following on her X account: "Retired General Saldıray Berk, who was purged from the Turkish Armed Forces after his name was included in the 2009 Erzincan conspiracy, passed away today.

Berk, who had been ill for a long time, will be laid to rest tomorrow after the noon prayer at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

The 11th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation had acquitted all defendants in the case where 14 individuals, including İlhan Cihaner and Saldıray Berk, were tried for "membership in the Ergenekon terrorist organization."

WHO IS SALDIRAY BERK?

Saldıray Berk (born February 16, 1948, Erzurum) was a Turkish soldier and politician. He was a former Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command (EDOK).

He graduated from the Selimiye Military Middle School in 1962, the Kuleli Military High School in 1966, and the Turkish Military Academy in 1968. He completed his training at the Artillery and Missile School in 1969. Until 1976, he served as a company and platoon commander, as well as a reconnaissance officer, in artillery units of the Turkish Land Forces.

He graduated from the Army War College in 1978. As a staff officer, he served as the Logistics Branch Manager and Operations Branch Manager of the 39th Infantry Division, a faculty member at the Turkish Military Academy, a personnel planning officer at the Land Forces Command, a military attaché in Moscow, the Personnel Management Branch Manager at the Land Forces Command, and the Commander of the 9th Infantry Division Artillery Regiment.

He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1995. In this rank, he served as the Deputy Chief of Operations and Staff of the 2nd Army, the Military Attaché in Baku, and the Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade.

He was promoted to the rank of major general in 1999. In this rank, he served as the Deputy Head of the Land Forces Inspection and Evaluation Department, the Head of the General Staff Personnel Department, and the Commander of the 23rd Gendarmerie Border Division.

He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 2003. In this rank, he served as the Head of the General Staff Personnel Department and later as the Commander of the 4th Corps.

He was promoted to the rank of general in 2007 and was appointed as the Commander of the 3rd Army, and in 2010 as the Commander of the Training and Doctrine Command. He retired in 2011.

It was alleged that when he visited the Başbağlar village in the Kemaliye district of Erzincan in May 2008, he said, "May the hands that vote for the AK Party wither. Do you know that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is selling out the country?" A lawsuit was filed against him on charges of insulting Erdoğan.

Berk denied the allegations. The court sentenced Berk to eleven months and twenty days in prison.

He was tried without arrest in the Ergenekon case. He did not appear in court on the day of the hearing and had two F-16s fly over the Erzurum Courthouse.

In later years, Bayram Bozkurt, the prosecutor of İliç who initiated an investigation against Saldıray Berk and the then-Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor İlhan Cihaner on the grounds that they were members of Ergenekon, stated that he was included in the investigation to prevent Saldıray Berk from becoming the Chief of General Staff.

Bozkurt was arrested for being a member of the Fetullahist organization after the July 15 coup attempt.

He joined the Vatan Party on May 8, 2015.

Saldıray Berk passed away on February 14, 2024.