Promotion controversy in the Police Department: Allegations that 'some directors who fought against FETÖ were not promoted'
Journalist Tolga Şardan claimed that 593 directors were promoted to the first class during the General Directorate of Security's (EGM) promotion process, while some critical figures were left out.
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Discussions regarding merit and irregularities in the latest promotion process at the General Directorate of Security have come to the fore. In his article published on T24, journalist Tolga Şardan relayed allegations circulating in police circles regarding certain individuals who were promoted to first-class police chief and others who failed to receive a promotion.
According to Şardan's claim, General Director of Security Ali Fidan announced the number of promotions for directors and supervisors as 270 before the promotions went into effect. However, it was stated that the number of directors promoted to first-class police chief at the end of the process was 593.
The article alleged that despite obtaining approximately 1,100 positions from the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), many police chiefs awaiting promotion were not elevated to the first class. Şardan wrote that following the release of the promotion lists, there were discussions in police circles suggesting that the "merit requirement was not fully applied."
ALLEGATIONS REGARDING NAMES INVOLVED IN FETÖ INVESTIGATIONS
According to Şardan, some inspector police chiefs who took part in the fight against FETÖ and worked on investigations into police officers allegedly linked to FETÖ within the General Directorate of Security's Inspection Board did not receive promotions. The article further claimed that some police supervisors and 4th-class police chiefs who were assigned to Ankara from across the country after July 15 and worked in critical units were also left out of the promotions.
Şardan stated that due to this situation, the claim that "the negative impact of this struggle might be a factor in the failure of some police chiefs involved in the fight against FETÖ to be promoted" is being voiced in police circles.
The article also included allegations regarding some of the individuals who were promoted. Şardan reported that it is being discussed that some people who were allegedly coded as "C" in the data obtained from the secret witness codenamed "Garson" (Waiter) in FETÖ investigations are on the promotion lists.
In his article, Şardan also alleged that a police chief who was involved in the meeting between businessman Sezgin Baran Korkmaz and the then-Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu before Korkmaz went abroad was promoted to the first class. The promotion of Hanefi Zengin, known for his stance during street protests in Istanbul, was also among the examples highlighted in the article.
On the other hand, it was stated that Bolu Deputy Police Chief Türker Uygur did not receive a promotion. While noting that Uygur recently became a world champion in a bodybuilding championship held in Batumi and is the child of a martyr, Şardan wrote that four directors in the same police department were promoted.
Another claim relayed by Şardan concerned the differences between the central and provincial organizations. Accordingly, it was alleged that while the majority of police chiefs who qualified for promotion in the EGM central organization were elevated to the first class, in the provinces, a limited number of directors were promoted despite there being many individuals who were said to be deserving.