What happened at the school referred to as the “Lieutenants’ Junta”?

Müyesser Yıldız/ 12punto.com.tr

Since the shelf life of events in our country is generally 24 hours, this was also quickly forgotten.

However, yesterday, the government-aligned newspaper Yeni Şafak brought the issue back to the agenda with the headline “Lieutenants’ Junta.”

In the report, regarding the incident alleged to have occurred on November 10, the phrase “profiling and assaulting some soldiers at the Tuzla Infantry School because they were praying” was used, and it was claimed that the existence of a “lieutenants’ junta” was uncovered during the administrative and judicial investigation that began following these events, and the following deep (!) information was provided first:

“The junta-member lieutenants began to terrorize others under the guise of so-called 'Atatürkism' during their student years at the Military Academy. The junta-member lieutenants, who profiled students praying in the school mosque with expressions such as 'Atatürk enemy,' 'cultist-sectarian,' and 'reactionary,' targeted religious officers by sharing their photos and hurled vulgar insults at sects and cults in WhatsApp groups. When they moved from the Military Academy to the Trainee Officer Battalion at the Tuzla Infantry School, the harassment increased even further... A hunt for 'cultist officers(!)' was officially launched in 3 different WhatsApp groups where all students were present.

Secretly taken photos of trainee officers who prayed and visited martyrs' graves were shared in the group, and explanations were demanded. Some of the targeted trainee officers had to defend themselves with expressions like 'What prayer? My forehead has never touched the ground in prostration' to prove they were 'not cultists.' Furthermore, in order to force the so-called cultist officers to reveal themselves, unspeakable, vulgar insults were hurled at sects and their leaders in the groups.

They also contacted lower classes and asked them to profile 'cultist' officers... In the WhatsApp groups, the junta-member lieutenants made insults and threats targeting state officials, primarily President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan... The junta-member lieutenants made meticulous plans to bring the so-called cultists within the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces) to the public agenda... The junta members even considered publishing a manifesto reminiscent of coup eras.”

Then, coming to what happened on November 10, the following was recounted:

“The verbal harassment by nearly 100 junta-minded lieutenants turned into physical assault during the November 10 ceremonies. According to the statements that entered the file, Atatürk photographs were distributed before the ceremony to be held on November 10. Some trainee officers, including Infantry Lieutenant A.A., could not pin the photos to their lapels because there were not enough safety pins. A lieutenant named K.Ş. from the junta-aspiring group confronted Lieutenant A.A. in the ceremony area, saying, 'Why aren't you wearing the Atatürk picture? Are you a cultist? Get the f... out of here,' and tried to force the picture onto his lapel. Lieutenant A.A., angered by the treatment he received, replied, 'I couldn't wear it because there was no pin. Should I wear it just because you told me to? I will wear it myself.'

Lieutenant A.A., who also had to explain to the company commander who intervened that 'he could not wear the picture because there was no pin and that he was not an enemy of Atatürk,' attached the picture to his lapel with a pin brought by the commander's order. The tension continued after the ceremony. When Lieutenant A.A. went to the dormitory, he was subjected to harassment by nearly 15 junta-aspirants this time. Lieutenants S.Y., U.T., and S.Ç. insulted Lieutenant A.A. with phrases like 'You will wear it whether you like it or not' followed by 'The day will come when you will all prostrate before Atatürk.' On the evening of the same day, Lieutenant B.I. hurled heavy insults at Lieutenant A.A., who was labeled a cultist. Not content with this, the junta-member lieutenants took the stage again 3 days later. The lieutenants, organized under the leadership of R.A., stuck 3 Atatürk pictures on the door of the dormitory where the 3 lieutenants they had profiled as 'Atatürk enemies' were staying. The trainee lieutenants shared a photo of the door in the WhatsApp group with the note, 'If they take them down, we beat them, guys.'

The comments made on this post also contained heavy insults. When Trainee Lieutenant M.F.Ş. came to the dormitory and removed the photos hung for harassment purposes and put them in his pocket, a junta member watching M.F.Ş. shared the photo of the door in the group, inciting his other friends with the words, 'They took down the Atatürk picture and threw it in the trash.' The events spiraled out of control from this point on. A group of 70-80 people organized by Trainee Lieutenant R.A., who saw the message, raided the dormitory and attacked the 3 trainee lieutenants with punches, calling them 'Atatürk enemies,' and tore the epaulets and Turkish flags from their uniforms. One of the attacking trainee lieutenants threatened, 'I am both God and the court here.' The group dispersed when a first lieutenant who was informed of the situation arrived at the scene, and the attacked trainee lieutenants went to Tuzla State Hospital and received a medical report for battery.”

After all this, the following questions were raised:

“Was a security investigation conducted when the junta-member lieutenants were admitted to the Military Academy? If it was, how did it go unnoticed? How did this group, which turned into an organized structure and operated openly even during their student years, escape attention at the Military Academy and how did they graduate? As seen in the WhatsApp correspondence, even though they shared with their superiors that they were profiling students who prayed, why did the commanders turn a blind eye to this illegal activity? Are there high-ranking officers acting in concert with this structure?”

THERE IS NO “JUNTA” IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION REPORT

Since Yeni Şafak claims that all this information (!) emerged as a result of the administrative and judicial investigation, let us convey the administrative investigation process initiated by the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) and what is in the prepared report.

Following the investigation order given by the Land Forces Command on November 29, the Disciplinary Investigation Board prepared a report on December 5. After this report, the Land Forces Command Training and Doctrine Command (EDOK) gave the instruction on December 11 to take statements from the lieutenants alleged to have been involved in the incident on November 10. As of yesterday, these lieutenants were asked to submit their statements within 8 days.

In the report prepared by the Disciplinary Investigation Board, there is no mention of a “lieutenants’ junta” as Yeni Şafak claims; only the following findings regarding what happened on November 10 were included:

“It was determined that during the ceremony held for the Atatürk Commemoration Day on November 10, 2023, Infantry Lieutenant A.A., one of the trainees of the 3rd officer basic training company, did not wear the Atatürk photograph on his lapel despite being ordered to do so and being distributed a photograph and a pin, and that he was reacted to and warned by his friends; that despite his friends' warnings to wear the Atatürk photograph, he refrained from wearing it under the pretext of not having a pin; that after this situation was conveyed to Company Commander Infantry First Lieutenant Y.K., he attached the Atatürk photograph to his lapel with a delay upon his renewed order; that due to this incident during the ceremony, a group of officer basic trainees went to dormitory number 405, the shift dormitory where Infantry Lieutenants A.A., M.F.Ş., and F.A. were staying, around 10:00 a.m. after the ceremony to show reaction; that a verbal argument and tension occurred among the trainee lieutenants there; that this tension continued throughout the day; that posts were made about the incident in messaging groups by the officer basic trainees; that the subsequent tension continued on November 13, 2023; that this time, around noon, a group went to dormitory number 405 again to show reaction to those staying there, and an argument and scuffle occurred among them...”

THERE IS NO BATTERY EITHER

In the Yeni Şafak report, it was claimed that three lieutenants were subjected to an attack and beaten, and that they went to Tuzla State Hospital and received a battery report; the continuation of the Investigation Board's report is as follows:

“After the scuffle, Infantry Lieutenant A.A. applied to his superiors to obtain a battery report, and was first referred to the Infantry School Primary Care Examination Center, and subsequently to Tuzla State Hospital; that no signs of battery or force were found after the examination; that after the report, A.A. went to the Tuzla Police Station on his own initiative despite his superiors not giving approval and filed a complaint; that subsequently the incident was transferred to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office...”

Let us also note that the report contains different statements from the WhatsApp correspondence reported by Yeni Şafak, and that the following finding was made, showing that the claim that the “epaulets and Turkish Flags on the uniforms of the three lieutenants were torn off” is not true:

“During the argument in the dormitory, it was stated that the Turkish Flag on the sleeve of M.F.Ş.'s camouflage uniform was torn off, and words such as 'You do not deserve to wear this' were uttered...”

FIRST SUSPENSION... THEN DISMISSAL?

As a result; first of all, 7 trainee lieutenants involved in the events were suspended from school. Three of them are the lieutenants who allegedly refused to hang Atatürk's picture, and four are the lieutenants who allegedly objected to this.

As for the request of the Investigation Board; we could not learn what kind of action they proposed to be taken regarding the three names, but for the four lieutenants, it was requested that they be given the “penalty of separation from the Armed Forces” in accordance with the TSK Disciplinary Law and the TSK Disciplinary Boards Regulation on the grounds that “by hanging Atatürk photographs on the dormitory door of A.A., M.F.Ş., and F.A. without their consent and by making highly provocative WhatsApp posts, they made those staying in this dormitory a target and in this way caused military discipline to be severely damaged.”

WHY WASN'T THE MSB ASKED?

Yesterday, when Yeni Şafak published this news, it was also the weekly press briefing day at the MSB. However; interestingly, such an important allegation was not asked to Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, the Press and Public Relations Advisor who organized the meeting, or to MSB sources, and the MSB remained silent.

Yeni Şafak's verdict of “junta-member lieutenants”... Its demand for an account of “whether a security investigation was conducted when they were admitted to the Military Academy, and if so, how they escaped notice”... And even saying, “Are there high-ranking officers acting in concert with this structure?”

Beyond the interpretation of “Is this the message of a new purge?”; one cannot help but ask, “Are these the preparations for banning Atatürkism in the TSK?”

We are going through times when religious zealots and separatists are glorifying Sheikh Said hand in hand; anything is possible!..