Don't deal with the lieutenants, deal with these issues!

For days, there has been talk about the lieutenants who graduated from the Military Academy, who, after the official ceremony ended, crossed their swords and chanted, "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal," after reciting an oath that had been read at official ceremonies until 2 years ago, but which has now caught the attention of some.

Following the sharing of the footage in question, those who feed on the specter of a coup and suppress every word and action contrary to their own inclinations with "coup" rhetoric have once again become increasingly fervent.

Leading pens of the pro-government media have been repeating in unison that the oath recited by the lieutenants was abolished after the July 15 coup attempt and, therefore, is "pirated." That wasn't enough; they accused the lieutenants of organizing an "alternative" ceremony.

Yet, that oath was read at official ceremonies not only at the Military Academy but also at the Naval and Air Force Academies until July 15.

It could not be read after July 15, not because it was abolished, but because the Military Academies were closed. After the Military Academies were reopened in February 2017, it began to be read again when the first graduates were commissioned—and in front of Erdoğan himself.

Whatever happened, it was decided in 2023 to stop reading this oath at the official ceremony; however, the lieutenants continued to recite it and perform the "sword-crossing" ritual during their own celebrations.

BÜYÜKANIT APPROVED, THE GENERAL STAFF MADE IT AN ORDER

Let us leave the floor here to a retired General who is a living witness to the history of that oath. He explained the following:

"Ceremonies at the Military Academies are conducted according to directives approved by the Chief of General Staff. Everything is recorded; this is called 'legislation.' The top graduate of the 1995 or 1996 August 30 Military Academy class prepared a speech for the graduation ceremony. This soldier, who retired last year, included such a text at the end of his speech. Before the ceremony, he presented it to the then-Regimental Commander, Staff Colonel Eyüp Kaptan, who is still alive, and he presented it to the late School Commander of the period, Yaşar Büyükanıt. Büyükanıt liked it very much and wanted both the top graduate to read it and the other lieutenants to repeat it. It was read for the first time at that ceremony in front of all state dignitaries, primarily the President, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of National Defense, and it received their appreciation. After that, the General Staff issued a circular for it to be read at subsequent ceremonies. This is different from the military oath, which is called 'This is the official oath.' It is an officer's oath; just like the oaths of police officers and doctors, it is a professional oath. The military oath is not taken 4 years later; everyone who joins the military, from private to officer, takes that oath within 1 month."

THOSE WHO SAY “WE ARE THE SOLDIERS OF MUSTAFA KEMAL” ARE A MINORITY

Let us continue with the reactions of the government and its media.

When the goal is not to eat grapes but to "beat the lieutenants," they knew no bounds in whipping up the frenzy!..

They ran headlines like "The longing for a junta has resurfaced"... They used labels like "rebellion, provocation," and called the slogan "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" "vulgar"... Some went looking for the organizer behind the "alternative oath"; others declared the "retired officer lobby," primarily retired soldiers Haldun Solmaztürk and Mustafa Önsel, to be the culprits of this affair...

Moreover, there were those who admitted that those who said "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" were a "minority group" at the Military Academy and demanded that those who made them chant this slogan be "hunted down in their lairs and rooted out"!..

Sir; that "pirated oath" was filmed and leaked. It seems the writer who voiced this claim did not notice that one of those who recorded the footage was a photojournalist from his own newspaper.

DOES A PERSON IN UNIFORM APPLAUD A POLITICAL SPEECH?

What else was said, written, and drawn?

They said, "A person in uniform cannot chant slogans"... They claimed the most important feature of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), which has a 2,233-year history, is discipline... And that the greatest damage to the TSK was caused by the deterioration of superior-subordinate relations...

If so, before the "indiscipline" of the lieutenants, shall we recall once again how the chain of command in the TSK was turned upside down after July 15?

Wasn't the link between the General Staff and the force commands severed by Presidential Decree No. 1? Wasn't it decided that the President "can directly obtain information from the Chief of General Staff and the Force Commanders and their subordinates, give them direct orders, and that the given order will be fulfilled immediately without obtaining approval from any authority"?

Didn't civilians, not soldiers, become the decision-makers in promotions, assignments, and retirements?

Haven't we seen big, important generals enthusiastically applauding Erdoğan's criticisms of the opposition and posing for photos with the leaders of the political parties that are partners in the People's Alliance?

In the lobbies; wasn't it talked about that a commander boasted about an investment in the defense industry, saying, "This brought 3 percent of the votes to the AK Party in the elections"?

Just recently, on the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert, didn't some force commanders appear in photos with a political party leader who advocates for federation and autonomy and opposes secularism?

So, what did that political party leader do on Tuesday?

He was received by Masoud Barzani. While he appreciated "Barzani's role in advancing the cause of the Kurdish people," Barzani said, "The best way to solve the Kurdistan problem is through understanding, mutual acceptance, dialogue, and peaceful resolution."

None of these "politicized" the TSK, but the "indiscipline" of the lieutenants politicized it and harmed the TSK, is that so?!

WHAT CHANGED IN 5 DAYS?

The discussions regarding that ceremony at the Military Academy lasted for a full week. Ultimately, yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense pointed to the footage reflected in the public eye and made the following statement:

"In our Turkish Armed Forces, whose priority is to maintain established discipline; there should not be the slightest doubt that no action, event, or situation contrary to discipline will be tolerated. The incident in question is also being examined in every aspect. According to the findings to be made as a result of the examination; necessary actions will be taken against personnel who have intent, fault, negligence, or responsibility within the scope of disciplinary legislation."

It is like a joke, but while it was stated that an investigation was launched into the lieutenants who said "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal," it was also emphasized that the TSK is on duty "under the guidance of Atatürk's principles and revolutions, and reason and science."

Let's go back to Monday.

That day, we announced that an administrative investigation had been launched into the lieutenants at the Military Academy due to social media posts.

The Ministry of National Defense denied our claim on the grounds that the lieutenants no longer had any connection with the school, and therefore the Military Academy did not have such authority.

And some celebrated because we were "denied."

First, let's provide the other details of the investigation matter at the Military Academy.

After the graduation ceremony, the School Commander and other administrators called the students who ranked high and gave them gifts, and asked why they held that ceremony. They said, "We continued the tradition." Upon this, the lieutenants were warned, "The incident could be pulled in other directions, be careful."

A day later, a platoon commander at the school called the regiment's senior officer and reported that the investigation order had arrived and that names were being identified.

We learned that this investigation order in question came from the National Defense University, but because the University no longer had such authority, the Ministry of National Defense made that denial in the first place.

What happened now? What changed in five days that the Ministry of National Defense decided to conduct an investigation?

What happened is obvious: after being kept under observation for a while, when the uproar that had been going on for days yielded results, the signal came from the politicians and the button was pressed!..

Look; a pirate governor was appointed to Kirkuk, the land of the Turkmens...

One of our SİHAs (UAVs) was shot down in Kirkuk...

The Patriarchate is running wild with its "ecumenical" claim...

The EU is coming down on us again in Cyprus... We are facing a massive problem like a terrorist state in Syria and the Syrians...

Without discussing the pros and cons, Erdoğan is applying for full membership to BRICS all by himself, and we are learning this from Russia...

But instead of dealing with these, they are dealing with lieutenants in their 20s.

What a pity!..