AKP figure criticizes his party's stance on 'lieutenant oath': 'I wish it were more decisive...'

Out of 960 lieutenants who graduated from the Military Academy, 300-400 gathered with their swords following the official part of the graduation ceremony and took an oath after chanting "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal!" under the leadership of the class valedictorian, who had already administered an oath to them an hour earlier.

With the footage of the lieutenants' oath appearing on social media, social media users, particularly those known for their AKP identity, used very harsh expressions regarding the lieutenants.

While notable comments on this oath by the lieutenants have come from different segments of society, the fact that the statements from the People's Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı) members, the AKP and the MHP, differed from each other drew attention.

DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS FROM AKP AND MHP

While AKP spokesperson Çelik said in his statement regarding the 'Officer Oath' issue on the agenda, "It is unacceptable for insults to be directed at the lieutenants," MHP Chairman Bahçeli stated, "It is imperative that the second oath incident be clarified in every respect."

AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik, a component of the ruling People's Alliance, used the phrase "These are the children of the nation" during a press conference he held on Tuesday regarding the sword-bearing oath of the Military Academy graduate lieutenants, while Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli said, "It is imperative that the second oath incident be clarified in every respect."

"It is also unacceptable for insults to be directed at the lieutenants," said Çelik, adding, "Speaking with a tone like 'The government was trying to shut down Turkey like this and that, and a sword of resistance was drawn against the AK Party' is actually an attempt to revive that old tutelage mentality."

Çelik stated, "Everything will be examined and evaluated; if there is any lack of discipline, this lack of discipline will be looked into, but it is also wrong for certain retired soldiers, politicians, and writers to try to stir up tutelage through these images by making comments from the outside."

On the other hand, while Bahçeli said, "We will be close followers of the matter," he added, "It is imperative that the second oath incident, which overshadows August 30, occupies our country, gives hope to adversaries, and excites the exploitation lobby, be clarified in every respect."

Bahçeli also asked, "What is the purpose of the oath that has occupied the political and social agenda and is being autopsied in the media every day? Who or who decided on this? How should the meaning and purpose of the need for an oath expressed by some of the graduated officers following the oath determined by law be interpreted?"

AKP'S METİNER CITED BAHÇELİ AS AN EXAMPLE

Former AKP deputy Mehmet Metiner criticized AKP spokesperson Çelik's statement about the lieutenants in a post on his social media account and cited MHP Chairman Bahçeli as an example with the following words:

"I wish the perspective that Mr. Bahçeli put forward very clearly regarding the illegal oath ceremony had been emphasized with a more decisive language by our AK Party's valuable spokesperson Ömer Çelik."

News Source: 12punto