What is this fear of just 50 veterans and one martyr's mother?!

The struggle for rights by families of fallen soldiers and veterans who are not granted the same rights as other martyrs and veterans has a 10-15 year history.

But it was only about 5 years ago, when they took to the streets, that a segment of the nation became aware of them.

With the sit-in protest they started at Ankara's Güvenpark on July 13, all of Turkey heard their voices.

For those who haven't followed, let me summarize the 48-day process that I witnessed almost every moment of.

The government, saying "Our martyr families and veterans will not be hurt," prepared a package for all martyrs and veterans, concurrent with the PKK opening process.

Seeing that the package did not meet a significant portion of their own demands, the veterans decided to take action.

Right around those days, it came to the agenda that Parliament would not go on recess and would work to pass the PKK law.

The authorities must have calculated that this would lead to reactions, so they also put the law regarding martyr families and veterans on the agenda in a half-baked manner. Both laws were discussed and accepted in Parliament one day apart and published in the Official Gazette on the same day.

Even this picture was proof that martyrs and veterans were placed on one side of the scale, and the PKK law on the other.

It was a situation of losing what one had while chasing something else, as the saying goes.

On one side, the veterans sleeping and waking up in Güvenpark, and on the other, the condolence tents opened for PKK terrorists under the name of "martyrs"; this caused serious discomfort and questioning in public opinion.

The blocking of the veterans' attempt to march to Parliament to make their voices heard by police barricades, the dawn raid on Güvenpark after the harsh statements made by Martyr Mothers Association President Pakize Akbaba while supporting the action, the veterans being taken by force to the Veteran Harmony House, their path being blocked when they wanted to leave and continue the action, and the establishment of a military barricade in front of them when they returned to the Harmony House and not being allowed inside, both increased the reactions and inevitably brought to mind the "understanding" shown towards the challenges of PKK-DEM members.

The only wish of the veterans was for someone to acknowledge them and promise that their demands would be met when Parliament opened in October.

They set up camp in front of the Ministry of Family. They were made to meet with a Deputy Minister who had nothing to do with the subject. That same night, they were taken from there and brought back to the Veteran Harmony House.

It is such a dilemma; on the other side, there are veterans who have lost their arms, legs, and eyes for this homeland and nation. As it has become routine, you can't beat them, you can't detain them!..

God forbid, what if something happens to the PKK opening?!

What could the police do; they took the protesters to where they were going in their own cars and brought them back in their own cars. Thus, they both helped the veterans who had difficulty walking and kept them under their control.

After kicking them out of Güvenpark, they showed them a place in Kurtuluş Park. The veterans only attempted an action like this for one day there:

They wanted to go in front of the Ministry of National Defense and make a press statement. When the police blocked their way, they lay down on the road and stopped traffic. Arguments occurred, and a detention order was issued for the veterans. Meanwhile, IYI Party Deputy Chairman and Bursa Deputy Selçuk Türkoğlu, who came to support them, was subjected to police violence and ended up in the hospital.

The next day, when it was said that 5 veterans would be taken to the Ministry of National Defense and meet with someone, the action was ended. Indeed, the next day, the veterans were taken to the Ministry of National Defense again by police cars; but it was stated that there was a "misunderstanding" regarding meeting with someone, and they were only allowed to make a press statement. They did not accept this and returned to Kurtuluş Park.

While the veterans sat and waited, rumors began to spread that "The event is evolving into something else... There are other forces behind it," and certain allegations began to be made about the veterans, especially Platform Spokesperson Erdem Çerçioğlu.

Whether something was whispered into their ears too, it is unknown; but the number of politicians coming and going to support them had decreased significantly!..

ATTACK FROM FOUR FRONTS

While these were happening, not a single sound came from the government. Until, on the 43rd day of the action, former AKP Deputy Şamil Tayyar made the following post:

"I express with sadness that I think we could not manage this process well. Even if their demands are found to be contrary, or if it is thought that the opposition is exploiting the action, I am of the opinion that they have more right to speak than anyone else... Leave them alone or embrace them with affection."

Two days after Tayyar, Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral criticized the fact that veterans were forced to go from door to door, saying, "This issue is not a matter of confrontation, but a matter of a sincere bridge of hearts to be built between the state and the citizen," and asked the relevant authorities to acknowledge them.

Even this much made the veterans so happy, so hopeful!..

But, whatever happened; simultaneously, a carrot-and-stick mechanism began to be operated on the veterans starting from the 47th day to make them pause the action.

This time, the manager of another martyr-veteran association was in play, and their interlocutors were some bureaucrats and police officers.

They were asked what they wanted to end the action.

The answer was the same; "Let an official acknowledge us, promise us for October"...

It was claimed that they first met with the Chief of General Staff and that he said, "We pushed these people, with whom we fought together between 1990-2000, aside, we left them out. This injustice should have been corrected long ago."

The veterans' demand, "Then let us meet with the Minister of National Defense or the Chief of General Staff," remained in the air.

It was conveyed that they met with former lieutenant Mehmet Ali Çelebi, secretary of the TBMM National Defense Commission, that he conveyed the issue to Chairman Hulusi Akar, and that Akar said, "When the commission meets in October, they will also invite a representative from them."

Meanwhile, 5 veteran representatives were brought together with some bureaucrats. One of the bureaucrats stated in advance that he was not the addressee of the issue. During the meeting, while the veterans were being shown the footage from the last action – I won't write the whole sentence – it was said, "Whoever speaks ill of our President..."

When a bureaucrat blurted out, "You owe us an apology," Platform Spokesperson Erdem Çerçioğlu reminded them of the raid they were subjected to in Güvenpark.

Again, through various channels, warnings were made to the veterans: "A file will be opened for each of you one by one. If you don't think of yourselves, think of your children. End this business with a nice press statement saying, 'Our action is evolving into something else.' Otherwise, it won't be good."

Some who played "good cop" said, "Take a break until the first week of October. If there is no development, we will support you too."

At the same time, news came that the employment contracts of the veterans who were still working would be terminated. For example, an attempt was made to verify the report that Platform Spokesperson Erdem Çerçioğlu sent to the institution where he worked, stating that he was receiving treatment at the Ankara Veterans Rehabilitation Center, from another hospital, and it was reported that his employment contract would be terminated. Upon his resistance, this time Çerçioğlu's wife was called and asked to persuade her husband.

Ultimately, on the 48th day of the action, the veterans were given until 17:00. When it was 17:00, as one police officer came and another went, it was said, "We have prepared the cars, we are preparing... We have detained, we are about to detain... We have taken, we are about to take."

The veterans stated that even if they were detained, they would not pause the action without at least meeting with Presidential Chief Advisor Oktay Saral and getting a promise.

The police, caught in the middle, finally called Saral at 20:30. At first, he could not be reached. Later, a video call was made. Upon Saral's promise that he would work to ensure their demands were met when Parliament opened and that he would discuss the issue with Erdoğan, the veterans decided to pause the action with a press statement the next day.

However, for some reason, the police were in a great hurry. Immediately after that phone call, they were not allowed to stay there that night, and all their belongings and even the flags hung on the trees were collected, and the veterans were taken to the Veteran Harmony House and GATA Guest House. After they were brought to Kurtuluş Park the next day and made to make a press statement, those who came from outside Ankara were asked to return to their hometowns quickly.

WAS AUGUST 30 THE REASON FOR SO MUCH PANIC?

While a handful of veterans and martyr relatives were sitting and waiting almost alone in Kurtuluş Park, and they were not harming anyone, what was the reason for this rush?!

What we know is that August 30 was approaching, and the veterans were thinking of going to Anıtkabir collectively that day.

Whether it was feared that when the nation saw the veterans, anti-opening slogans would be chanted, or that those coming to Anıtkabir would also come to Kurtuluş Park for support, it is unknown; it was said that they would absolutely not be allowed to go to Anıtkabir on August 30.

Upon this, the veterans requested to go a day earlier. They were told "no" to that too.

They said they wanted to go individually, not collectively, after the press statement regarding the pause of the action the previous day was made. Still, no permission was granted.

It was unbelievable.

MOTHER PAKİZE WAS FOLLOWED STEP BY STEP

However, something happened yesterday!..

Martyr Mothers Association President Pakize Akbaba also came to Ankara for August 30. She was immediately contacted and asked if Mother Pakize would visit with anyone collectively.

The answer given was, "No, she will go to Anıtkabir alone and leave."

I was also at Anıtkabir yesterday. Near the place close to entering, I coincidentally met Mother Pakize and a single veteran who participated in the action. A wheelchair was expected for Mother Pakize. We waited together, went inside slowly, and went up by elevator. After the Anıtkabir visit, we took a few photos and set off to leave. At the entrance and exit of Anıtkabir, we ran into Yavuz Alatan from Sözcü, who followed the veterans' action from beginning to end. He also took a few photos. When we stopped to buy water from the cafeteria, this time we met the Halk TV reporter and cameraman, and they interviewed Mother Pakize. Meanwhile, a few citizens came up and expressed their support. Then we left. That was all.

Why did I tell so many details?

Because four plainclothes police officers, familiar from the Güvenpark and Kurtuluş Park actions, followed this whole process step by step from beginning to end!..

Our handful of veterans, who are the crown of our heads, and the families entrusted to us by our martyrs, experienced these things in 49 days.

I don't know about others, but I was very ashamed!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

August 31, 2026