The biggest secret he took to the grave: What SADAT President Adnan Tanrıverdi asked of Erdoğan before he died

Caner TAŞPINAR 12punto.com.tr 

The vehicle stopped in front of the 2nd Armored Brigade Command in Maltepe. 

Throughout the journey, he had talked about his neighbor, and of course, before that as well... 

While his rivals were out in the field campaigning, he wanted to meet with the Brigade Commander. 

He entered the commander's office, offering the first salute of a "comradeship" that would last for many years. 

It was a period when Turkey was being dragged into a major transformation; the year was 1994...

The person who brought them together, that is, the neighbor, was the then Samandıra Mayor Mehmet Sekmen, he could not have even imagined what was to come. 

His only wish was to see the rising star of his party, Tayyip Erdoğan, seated in the chair of the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality . 

The commander was also waiting for Erdoğan with excitement; after all, he was the candidate of the party he felt close to. 

It was a meeting from which both sides departed happy. 

Did the parties know during that meeting that they were taking the first step toward a partnership that would last for years?

There is no answer to this question...

It is best if we start by explaining what happened after that day... 

After they met, Erdoğan took his seat as mayor. 

He did not break his ties with the Brigade Commander, and their conversations continued. 

So, who was this commander?

He was born in 1944 in the Akşehir district of Konya. 

He completed his primary, secondary, and high school education in Akşehir. 

During the 1962-1963 academic year, he served as a substitute teacher in primary school for one year. In the 1963-1964 academic year, he studied for one year in the Zoology Department of the Istanbul University Faculty of Science. 

In a radical decision, he left the Zoology Department and entered the Military Academy in 1964. 

In fact, his "real life" began when he entered the Military Academy. 

Yes, we are talking about Adnan Tanrıverdi. The process that brought Tanrıverdi to where he is today began with his entry into the military.

A COMMANDER WHO TOOK LESSONS FROM TANRIVERDI: HE WOULD BE PRESENT IN ENVIRONMENTS WITH ALCOHOL

In 1980 he graduated from the Armed Forces Academy. After serving as Intelligence Branch Manager and Acting Chief of Staff at the 2nd Infantry Division Command in Sakarya, Army War College He was appointed to a faculty position. 

While Adnan Tanrıverdi was teaching at the Army War College, we spoke with a commander who had taken his classes. This commander, whose name was a subject of public debate during the period when Sedat Peker was creating an agenda with his videos, said that they "never thought he would turn out like this." When we asked "why," he gave the following response: 

"I took classes from Adnan Tanrıverdi when he was at the Army War College. During that time, he would attend receptions and be present in environments where alcohol was served. Moreover, his wife did not wear a headscarf. We never knew he was someone like this."

Following his time at the Army War College, Tanrıverdi served as the Logistics and Operations Branch Manager and Acting Chief of Staff at the General Staff Special Forces Command.

The 2nd Armored Brigade Command, where he served for three years between 1992 and 1995...

In other words, the period when he met Tayyip Erdoğan...

Adnan Tanrıverdi had met with Tayyip Erdoğan, the Welfare Party candidate at the time, at the 2nd Armored Brigade Command in Kartal.  

Let us hear about what else he did from the commanders themselves... 

Retired Lieutenant General İsmail Hakkı Pekin, former Head of Intelligence at the General Staff, said the following about Tanrıverdi in an interview with the Aydınlık newspaper on September 3, 2012: 

“Throughout his time in the Turkish Armed Forces, this man was involved in practices that instrumentalized religion for his own purposes. During his time as Brigade Commander in Maltepe (Kartal), Istanbul, he brought religion into the barracks and tried to create a group for himself there. Following reports that he was leading collective prayers inside the barracks, he was reassigned to a dormant position and subsequently retired.”

Following these remarks by İsmail Hakkı Pekin, Tanrıverdi issued a statement denying the allegations.

‘I AM A VICTIM OF Adnan Tanrıverdi’

There is also retired Brigadier General Ali Er. Ali Er, while a guest on Halk TV, described himself as a “victim of Adnan Tanrıverdi.” Stating that he received training during the period when Tanrıverdi was a faculty member at the Army War College, Ali Er said the following: 

“I know him personally. As someone who entered the War Academies in 1982 and graduated in 1985, I know very well what kind of person he is. I am a witness to how many young people were expelled from the War Academies because of these individuals. I have painful memories regarding this subject. I am a person from an era that was personally affected by him. A few friends and I are among the 'correction fluid' graduates. Young people don't know what correction fluid is; in the past, there were no computers, so if you made a small mistake while typing, you would cover it with correction fluid and type over it. We are those kinds of graduates, and I know very well what that means. And I am ashamed of the misfortune of wearing the same uniform. I can say this clearly because he was not such an innocent person back then either, but what should really be questioned is his appointment to the Special Warfare Department after the War Academies and his subsequent promotion to the rank of general. I am a witness to the fact that staff officers at the 2nd Armored Brigade Command were forced to leave the army during their first assignment period because of this person. Because I know those friends. And unfortunately, at that time, they took that person and placed him in a position at the Logistics Department of the Land Forces, ensuring he completed his four years. You know what the man did; the commanders of that period must be held accountable for these things.”

According to retired Brigadier General Ali Er, Adnan Tanrıverdi had also engaged in actions that exposed his true colors after his time at the 2nd Armored Brigade Command. 

TANRIVERDİ'S MALTEPE CONFESSIONS

Let us come to the period when Adnan Tanrıverdi's 'star began to shine'...

Since the Kartal 2nd Armored Brigade Command is located within the borders of Maltepe, this command is generally referred to as 'Maltepe'. 

For that reason, let us call them Adnan Tanrıverdi's Maltepe confessions...

Tanrıverdi, perhaps due to his belief in the 'righteousness' of his activities, makes 'confessions,' or rather, open declarations, on many subjects. 

He also has a very useful interview regarding his 'Maltepe confessions'. 

On the anniversary of the February 28 process, on February 28, 2011, Adnan Tanrıverdi gave an interview to Erkan Acar from the Zaman newspaper, a media outlet of FETÖ that has since been shut down. 

In this interview, Tanrıverdi lists and explains what was written in his file during the process that led to his retirement due to a 'lack of vacancies'. 

Let us start with the first incident: the sacrifice ritual...

Tanrıverdi says the following: 

'After I retired, I ran into a classmate who had retired as a colonel at the Üsküdar Şemsi Paşa Officers' Club. He said to me, "General Adnan, you slaughtered a sacrificial animal at the Brigade, and you had a religious official wear a turban and pray while you were doing it." During a meeting with the former Commander of the Land Forces, retired General Hikmet Köksal, who was the 1st Army Commander at the time, this friend of mine asked, "Why did you retire General Adnan?" General Köksal then showed him a photograph of the sacrifice we performed as a tradition while heading to a military exercise. I had that photo taken as a memento. They found that picture. Could there be anything more natural than this?'

Here is the controversial photograph of Tanrıverdi performing the sacrifice:

Tanrıverdi, in the Armed Forces He says that sacrifices were made before major, important military exercises to prevent accidents and trouble, and that this was a tradition. 

Well, is that really the case?

We asked a retired general about this matter. He stated that such practices were carried out from time to time, but that a ceremony involving people in robes and turbans could not be held, and that civilians from outside could not be brought in to lead prayers at such ceremonies. 

Let us continue with Adnan Tanrıverdi again...

Tanrıverdi admits that he performed this tradition in a "different" way: 

"The only difference was that I slaughtered the sacrifice myself due to my interest. I also called the military imam of the mosque in the brigade to lead the prayer. He came wearing his religious attire. That attire is the official attire of an imam according to the decree on uniforms, and it is not contrary to the decree. They called this an excessive activity."

That is the story of the sacrifice... 

There is also the debate about him "retiring and taking charge of a political party." 

Recall that Adnan Tanrıverdi met with Tayyip Erdoğan, then a candidate for the Welfare Party, at the 2nd Armored Brigade Command in Kartal.  

Was this 'rumor' spread because he met with Tayyip Erdoğan?

Tanrıverdi says the following: 

'Among my own staff, a rumor attributed to the 1st Army Commander had spread, saying, "We have generals who will retire in a sensational manner and take the lead of a certain political party." These are incorrect statements. Look, it has been fifteen years since I retired. But despite receiving attractive offers, I am not a member or an active participant in any party.'

Yes, Tanrıverdi had not taken an official position within the government in 2011, when this interview was conducted, but he later occupied one of the most critical seats in 2016. He became Chief Advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and a member of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council. 

In a speech he gave at the congress of the Association of Defenders of Justice Strategic Research Center (ASSAM), where he served as Chairman of the Board, he drew backlash with his remarks, 'The Mahdi is coming, we must prepare the environment for this.' Following his 'Mahdi' statement, Adnan Tanrıverdi resigned from his positions as Chief Advisor to the President and member of the Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council.

Let us come to the secrets Adnan Tanrıverdi took to the grave... 

In 2012, he founded SADAT (International Defense Consultancy Construction Industry and Trade Inc.) together with soldiers who had been dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces due to 'reactionary activities'. 

SADAT'S PROPOSALS FOR THE TSK IMPLEMENTED AFTER JULY 15 

The Association for Defenders of Justice Strategic Research Center (ASSAM), of which Adnan Tanrıverdi was the chairman of the board, supported the removal of the "reactionary" (irtica) clause from the entrance requirements for Military Academies, arguing that this would prevent FETÖ and similar organizations from organizing within the TSK.

In a statement by ASSAM, known for its proximity to SADAT, "The claim that this change will provide an opportunity for certain groups to seize the TSK is completely untrue. If the regulation clause associated with reactionism were to prevent such situations as claimed, this nation would not have experienced the July 15 coup attempt." the statement read.

In a video, Adnan Tanrıverdi explained that all the proposals they brought forward after July 15 had been implemented as follows:

"Almost all of our findings regarding the restructuring of the Armed Forces in the constitutional proposal we presented were incorporated after July 15. At that time, we said that all Military Academies and Military Schools should be affiliated with the Ministry of National Defense, and they were. We said that the Gendarmerie General Command should be transferred from the General Staff to the Ministry of Interior, and it was. We said that the structure of the Supreme Military Council should be changed and that the Military High Courts should be abolished, and that also happened. We said that the presidential system should be introduced, and it was. Almost all of these proposals of ours were realized in the restructuring that followed July 15."

Here is that video: 

??What did SADAT do after July 15?
??12punto opened its archives and documented the changes in the TSK after the coup attempt https://t.co/tpciEXmDvO pic.twitter.com/fJcHiUgtZ3

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) July 14, 2024

HE ADVOCATED FOR A PROVINCIAL SYSTEM

What is in the archives of SADAT, which was founded by retired soldiers and provides "Unconventional Warfare" training?

Adnan Tanrıverdi had stated in reports by ASDER and ASSAM, where he also served as an executive, that "a provincial system should be introduced."

The striking remarks made by Tanrıverdi in his presentation of the "ASDER-ASSAM report" in January 2015 regarding the stage reached in the "solution process" are as follows: ASDER-ASSAM report presentation are as follows:

“A provincial system should be introduced. The provincial organization of the Republic of Turkey and the state's administrative structure should be reorganized. This system should be established in a way that both covers the autonomy demands of Kurds and other ethnic groups and increases the sense of loyalty and belonging to the state. Each ministry can properly manage and direct at most 6 to 10 units under its authority. 81 provinces cannot be managed effectively from the center.”

HE SAID “SECULARISM SHOULD BE REMOVED” ON A FETÖ CHANNEL

Adnan Tanrıverdi, who also served as the Chairman of the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER)—founded by seven soldiers dismissed from the military by the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decisions in 2004—had made statements to STV, a media outlet closed due to its ties to FETÖ, regarding a constitutional proposal prepared by ASDER and submitted to Parliament.

Tanrıverdi had stated, "The official ideology should not be in the Constitution, and the principle of secularism should not be in the Constitution, because these have always been issues used as pressure on people of faith."

OPPOSITION TO THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION

SADAT members, who supported the "The Istanbul Convention Kills" campaign, issued a statement of support following the decision to withdraw from the convention. The statement included "We say a peaceful and strong family means a strong Turkey" expressions.

SADAT HAD POINTED TO 2023

So, what are the secrets that Adnan Tanrıverdi took to the grave?

SADAT's 2023 plan... 

The details of SADAT's 2023 election plan were explained by Melih Tanrıverdi, the son of SADAT founder and retired Brigadier General Adnan Tanrıverdi and the current president of SADAT, in an article he wrote following the June 24, 2018 elections.

In an article titled "Turkey Has Made Its Choice," published on June 25, 2018, on the website of the Association of Defenders of Justice Strategic Research Center (ASSAM)—SADAT's think tank—Melih Tanrıverdi stated that Turkey's goal on the path to the 2023 elections was the "ASRICA" project.

Asking, "What will happen in the 2018–2023 period?" Melih Tanrıverdi made the following assessment:

“1- It will be promoted from being the hope of salvation for the Muslim geography—the silent majority—that is kept under tutelage in world politics, to becoming its Natural Leader.

2- It will change the balances within the United Nations organization.

3- It will take the first steps toward a Union of Islamic Countries.

4- Acting on the reality that an environment of peace and tranquility is the right of all humanity, it will support states in the ASRICA (Asia-Africa) region that have been destabilized by being placed under tutelage, and it will become the nightmare of the states that were yesterday called Superpowers.”

WHAT IS THIS ASRIKA PROJECT

In his assessments following the June 24 elections, SADAT President Melih Tanrıverdi claimed that they would bring the ASRIKA project to the forefront on the road to the 2023 elections and that the AKP government would also focus on the ASRIKA project.

SO, WHAT IS THIS ASRIKA PROJECT 

SADAT President Melih Tanrıverdi's father, Adnan Tanrıverdi, who laid the foundations of SADAT, explained the ASRIKA project in his book "From February 28 to July 15" by stating that Muslim countries, 28 of which are in Asia and 28 in Africa, should form an alliance:

"Of the 60 states with a Muslim majority, 28 are located in Asia, 28 in Africa, and 4 in Europe. The Eurasian and North Atlantic alliances have not brought peace and tranquility to the Islamic geography; rather, they have become the primary cause of disputes, conflicts, and civil wars. For this reason, it has become a necessity for the Islamic world to enter into a new alliance on the 'ASRIKA' axis, covering the Asia-Africa geography."

Since 2017, ASSAM has been organizing annual "ASRIKA International ASSAM Islamic Union Congresses." In these congresses, draft constitutions are produced, and the fundamental objectives of ASRIKA are determined.

CAPITAL: ISTANBUL, LANGUAGE: ARABIC, LAW: SHARIA

The first ASRIKA Congress was held on November 23-24, 2017 "Governance Models from the Past to the Future" convened in Istanbul under the title. At the end of the congress, a draft constitution was written. With the "Constitution of the Confederation of Islamic Countries," consisting of 63 pages and 181 articles and prepared in Turkish, Arabic, and English, it was proposed to establish an "Islamic Union of States" with a separate form of government, military power, judiciary, capital, flag, and language. "Islamic Union of States" was proposed to be established.

According to Article 6 of this constitution, the official language of the ASRICA Islamic Union of States was determined to be Arabic, its flag to be a white crescent and as many stars as the number of national states on a red-green background, and its capital to be Istanbul/Turkey. Article 7 stated that the union to be established would be governed by Sharia, with the words: "The fundamental purpose of the ASRICA Islamic Union of States is to make Islamic Sharia and creed dominant..."

COMMON CURRENCY: ASRICA DINAR

The second ASRICA Congress was held on November 1-2 on "Islamic Economy and Economic Systems" convened in Istanbul under the title.

At the end of this congress, decisions were made regarding the economies of the countries involved in the ASRICA project. Some of these decisions are as follows:

-The establishment of a customs union among Islamic countries, the creation of a common market, the adoption of a monetary union, and the establishment of trade zones among union members,

-Giving the institution of Zakat an institutional identity under state control in the form of a common fund,

-The establishment of a trade chamber and trade courts affiliated with the union,

-The creation of an Islamic electronic dinar currency (ASRICA Dinar)...

You can find more information about Adnan Tanrıverdi in the book "Shadow Army: The Veil of Secrecy Over SADAT is Lifted," which I co-authored with my journalist friend Ersin Eroğlu.