Appeal petition of Ebru Eroğlu, dismissed from the TSK, revealed

Five of the lieutenants who recited the officer's oath by crossing their swords and chanted the slogan "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" after the Military Academy graduation ceremony were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) on the grounds of 'indiscipline'.

The appeal petition of Lieutenant Ebru Eroğlu, who filed a lawsuit to return to the army, has been obtained.

According to the report by Sözcü, Eroğlu, whose defense was included in the petition, stated the following:

"I entered the Military Academy first and graduated first. I was first in skiing, running, and shooting, and I received a diver's certificate. I finished the commando course, which men also attended, in 58th place. The Ministry sent me to an armed combat competition in Italy due to my achievements. I have tried to be a military academy graduate worthy of my state. I am deeply committed to the TSK. I could not have had any intent of indiscipline."

The lawsuit petition, prepared by Union of Turkish Bar Associations President Erinç Sağkan and 11 lawyers, included the following statements:

The action subject to the disciplinary investigation took place after the ceremony ended. After the ceremony, the lieutenants were no longer under the command and control of the Military Academy and were on leave. It has also been emphasized by the administration that the content of the officer's oath does not contain any negativity and that there is no problem with the content of the text. How can the officer's oath, which was read at ceremonies until 2022 and continues to be read at some official ceremonies, damage the reputation of the state or the TSK when read collectively on the first day of their officer lives after the ceremony?

ATATÜRK IS OUR COMMON VALUE

In the reasoning for the majority vote of the High Disciplinary Board (YDK) decision, it is stated: "The phrase 'We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal' is not an act of indiscipline. The great leader Atatürk is the common value of our nation and state; he cannot be debated."

If the officer's oath, which was read at official ceremonies from 1995 to 2023, did not create opposition in society, why did reading it after the ceremony in this incident create opposition? If this oath text had been read during the ceremony, would there have been a debate about opposition?

According to a very large part of society (public opinion polls are around 90 percent), it is clearly evident that the reputation of the state and the TSK was not damaged due to the lieutenants' action.

News Source: 12punto