Details from Hulusi Akar on the night of the July 15 coup attempt

On the night of the July 15 coup attempt, one of the first targets of the coup plotters was the General Staff Headquarters.

The FETÖ coup plotters planned to seize the state by neutralizing the command echelon.

What happened at the Headquarters that night constituted one of the most critical moments of the coup.

Former Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar recounted his experiences moment by moment during a live broadcast on Habertürk.

Key highlights from Akar's speech:

We have a very vast history spanning 2500 years. We are members of a great nation. In the flow of history, one should look at history not just to live it, but to take lessons from the pain there and inspiration from its glorious and famous aspects. There is an event we encountered during this process. The treacherous coup attempt does not resemble any of these. It is a great baseness, a dishonor. On the night of July 15, we faced a great betrayal. It caused great destruction in the state structure, and in our society as well. We gave 252 martyrs. The wounded suffered greatly. I had a brother named Resul; he was walking around with his intestines in his hands. We have many wounded; all of them are important and valuable.

"THEY USED FETÖ AGAINST OUR NATION"

The coup attempt was not made against the AK Party. It was made against the entire nation. Regarding the prosecution of FETÖ, we see that some formations hold these commemorations, the day of democracy and national unity, only in places where the AK Party and MHP are present. There is a bias here. There is a mistake in the perspective. These imperialist powers are like scorpions. Scorpions cannot stop themselves from stinging. Scorpions cannot stop. They used FETÖ against our state and our nation. They have nothing to do with the law. There is great oppression in Israel. They are engaging in actions that amount to genocide. They are in a state of great blindness and deafness. Our belief is that, hopefully, with the work of our President and our government, they will be held accountable before justice and the law. We expect the blind and deaf countries to pull themselves together.

"THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY HAS A GREAT IMPACT"

When we look at the agreements on this issue for centuries, there is pressure against Turkey. In military and political terms. If we hadn't been able to make the UAVs and UCAVs, if Mr. Selçuk hadn't succeeded in this, we would have been experiencing very serious difficulties. If we can conduct our diplomacy comfortably, the defense industry has a great impact. Regarding FETÖ, some individuals and organizations have not mentally condemned them. They look at this issue as if it were a government matter. They look at it as if it were an opposition-government issue. This is extremely wrong. If it weren't for the common sense and foresight of our citizens in the resistance to this issue. Our entire nation, 85 million, resisted with great consciousness against FETÖ.

"CONTINUES TO ENGAGE IN LIES, SLANDER, AND HARASSMENT"

Turkey was going to be managed like a satellite. They were not going to value our brothers in Azerbaijan. They were not going to respect our relations with Libya. The protection of FETÖ members abroad is a clear indicator of this. Currently, many FETÖ accounts continue to engage in lies, slander, and harassment against our President and us. They are being protected and sheltered. They do it from Europe and America. The relevant units there do not take measures. Our Ministry of Justice sent 80-100 files for the extradition of the FETÖ ringleader to Turkey. They did not respond with flimsy excuses. We will continue this struggle as a state.

HOW MUCH WAS FETÖ KNOWN IN THE TSK?

Until February 7, 2012, regarding the terrorist-related issue, they camouflaged themselves by wrapping themselves in sheep's clothing. We saw it on February 7. We came to December 17-25 and July 15. There was a reality called F-type, which later turned into a parallel state structure. F-type wiretaps, sends false, signed or unsigned letters, and opens conspiracy cases. Its true face began to be seen on December 17-25. After that, our intelligence units and other institutions. They had infiltrated various units from the beginning, and in the same way, the armed forces. We had dismissed 10 thousand 5 people with the Minister's approval. After July 15. The total reached 24 thousand 652. Officers and generals had infiltrated in some way. There are operations in the judiciary, intelligence, our armed forces, and our universities.

"WE SENSED SOME DIFFERENCES"

For the first time, ranked personnel began to arrive at the military prison. As much as possible, with the help of our commanders, we removed the requirement to wear black uniforms. Whatever needed to be done within the framework of the law was done. We tried to do what was necessary in humanitarian, military, and administrative terms. Changes were made during that period. The process was continuing in a legal sense. Since we became the Land Forces Commander, we said, "Wherever we go across Turkey, we will do our duty within the framework of the law, transparently." We trained our personnel. We tried to provide these so that some problems we encountered in the past would not recur. There are officers and generals we work closely with around us. We sensed some differences in their attitudes. We asked the intelligence units again and again. The answer came back as 'there is no record'.

HOW DID FETÖ SOLDIERS HIDE?

While we were working with these friends, we followed whatever came from the press or rumors. We went after it. We tried to collect information and documents. I became the Chief of General Staff in 2015. I told the force commanders and the 2nd Chief, 'friends, we will work transparently within the framework of the constitution and the law.' We didn't have any legal evidence in our hands. There were suspicions. Names were being discussed. What kind of person is so-and-so? I had said that we would not allow this at the 2016 Supreme Military Council (YAŞ). Whatever you know, whatever you see, go to their homes, ask their mothers and fathers, ask their villages and towns. When we reached August 2016, I ordered them to form an opinion. Our friends were working accordingly. At the point we reached, this information and documentation progressed with our friends. We came to the YAŞ work with this understanding. We kept it as secret as possible. At that time, Yaşar Güler Pasha was the 2nd Chief. We determined that it would not be appropriate for about 120-130 generals and admirals to remain in the army.

"THEY SAW THAT WE WOULD PURGE THEM"

When we spoke with our President, we said that there were also political and civilian segments. Thank God, they supported us. In fact, there is an opinion and information that the treacherous coup attempt, which was planned for the autumn according to some information, was moved to July due to this fear and panic. We understand how correct our approach was and that the terrorist organization panicked. They saw that we would purge them, so they resorted to a perverse path and attempted a coup. We did not think it would be this big, or that the parallel state structure would attempt a coup. This was the biggest shock I experienced. Our normal commander friends are knowledgeable about every subject. As we passed by as soldiers, we would ask our child 'how are you', and they would say 'thank you'. You hear other things from colonels and lieutenant colonels who have served as your private secretary. 24 thousand people were dismissed here. There are understandings that the TSK's power has diminished; this is completely wrong.

WHAT WAS DISCUSSED ON THE EVENING OF THE COUP?

I was at the General Staff headquarters. Yaşar Pasha came. A major said that the 'MIT Undersecretary would be taken'. I said, 'Let him come and talk.' We talked to the Minister to understand the criticality of the situation. We discussed the situation with Hakan Bey, the 2nd Chief, and the Land Forces Commander. It was already Friday. Working hours were over. We had received similar rumors in the past. The garrison commander was the late Servet Pasha, he had gone and slept in the armored units. It turned out to be baseless. We acted with caution and care. We said, "Let's ground the flights, the aircraft in the air, let's not allow the aircraft." We determined what we could do point by point. I gave the orders directly, clearly, and explicitly. I called the Operations Center. Operations Centers are a system where dozens of people and experts work 365 days a year. This system works quickly. The order we gave had reached the airport in Kars at 19.25.

"EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL"

The aircraft were not allowed to take off. Our Land Forces Commander goes to the army aviation, to the unit where the major came from. He says there is no abnormality. I sent the Land Forces Commander to inspect. The General Staff 2nd Chief goes to his own work. We compiled and gathered the assessment of our friends there. Hakan Bey made various phone calls. We gave those orders. We said there might be an attempt, we need to prevent it. We did the necessary checks. Everything seemed normal to us.

"I SHOUTED AND YELLED AT THE COUP PLOTTERS"

We were working in our office. The door was knocked, and someone entered. Mehmet Dişli entered. 'You will see in a little while,' he said rudely. I was not sitting at the executive desk. I was sitting at the work desk. 'Battalions, brigades have come out, they are coming, take the lead,' he said. 'Are you crazy, absolutely not, such a thing cannot happen,' I said. We shouted and yelled. A lot of soldiers entered. It was not normal. That is what I call a shock. It was as if they were hypnotized. The aide-de-camp, bodyguards, people I knew and didn't know, stormed in. We are shouting and yelling. Sounds were being heard from outside. Some were swearing.

"I SAID 'IF YOU ARE GOING TO SHOOT, SHOOT'"

My phone was with the aide-de-camp. As a matter of fact, we couldn't find that phone later. Many phones were left abandoned. I didn't have my phone. I never saw the phone I handed over to the aide-de-camp again. The aide-de-camp entered and said, 'If you don't take the lead, I will shoot you.' We walked towards him and said, 'Shoot, you scoundrel.' Our mouths were covered, we couldn't breathe. They were holding something to our mouths and noses to subdue us. There was a disconnection there. We fell and got up, we sat in the chair. We shouted, 'Take off the handcuffs.' They tore them off by prying with a bayonet. Later, we learned that what they held to our throats was ether. After we sat down, they said, 'We are leaving.' It was close to 11 o'clock. We left the office. All special forces elements were there. Guns in their hands, faces like robots, they were mankurts. 'What are you doing here?' I said.

"THE COUP PLOTTERS SAID 'TAKE THE LEAD'"

Someone opposite was holding a rifle and walking backward. I had shouted at them, 'Get out of here.' There was a scuffle there. I even asked for a shroud. There was integrity in the uniform. My pistol was not on me. We went out, they had landed a helicopter in the middle of the General Staff. There was a scuffle on the way. They pointed the rifle in the helicopter, we intervened with a kick. We arrived at the Akıncı base. They took us to a room there. There were comings and goings in the room. Generals, colonels are coming in and out. Their concern was, 'We started the coup attempt, be at our head,' they said.

"THEY HAD BUILT A DREAM FOR THEMSELVES"

The principles of entry and exit from the barracks are clear. What kind of mind allows Special Forces, armored units to go out? Can an order be given like 'put on your hats, eat your meals'? They know my temperament. I was always saying constitution, law, legislation. They need to understand who we are. They had built a dream for themselves. There, they told me 'the coup is continuing successfully,' take the lead. We said with swearing, 'what you are doing is a great dishonor, a baseness.' I said, 'You have sunk into the swamp once, from now on show manhood, bravery, go and surrender to the prosecutor, the police, the military police, whoever you are going to surrender to.' They came and went several times.

"THEY SAID WE CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH FETULLAH GÜLEN"

Ömer, Devrim, Mehmet Dişli, Akın Öztürk, Kubilay were there. 'Will you read this declaration to me?' they said. I pushed it away with the back of my hand, I didn't take it. This time they read it themselves. They read the economy part in the declaration. I shouted and yelled, 'Who are you, what do you understand?' I said, 'Who is your head, your tail?' They said, 'If you want, we can put you in touch with the opinion leader, Fetullah Gülen,' I refused. Towards morning, after their morale broke, they tried to put me in touch with our President, they said they couldn't reach him.

"AKIN ÖZTÜRK SAID 'I WILL COME TOO'"

There is a television there. At one point they turn on the television, then it gets cut off. I saw the bombing of the police operations center. After seeing the miserable state of the soldiers on the Bosphorus Bridge towards morning. Finally, they said, 'We reached Hakan Bey.' We had a very short conversation. We were able to talk to my wife for about 10-20 seconds. They are at home, they are also experiencing a separate drama. I talked to the Prime Minister, Binali Bey. Meanwhile, the runways were being bombed. So that the planes wouldn't take off. That caused panic for them. I said I would go to the General Staff. They said, 'Go to Çankaya.' They had arranged a car. Akın Öztürk also came. 'I will go too,' he said. I insisted, 'You stay here.' They were surprised, there was an atmosphere of panic.

"MEHMET DİŞLİ SAID 'I WILL COME TOO'"

I was in the room, I said, 'Let me go out and get some air.' Those in the room said, 'There are civilians outside.' We got on the helicopter. I said to Mehmet Dişli, 'Don't you come either.' He said, 'I need to come, they are shooting, I will be in contact with the coup plotters, I will provide communication so they don't shoot.' We came to Çankaya. It was Tuğrul Türkeş Bey's office. They took us there. We had experienced great shocks. They had held a gun to our heads. From the first moment, we told our friends that Mehmet Dişli was with them.

"THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN OUR HOUSE ALSO TURNED OUT TO BE FETÖ"

The judiciary evaluated this sensitively and gave the verdict. Those who were convicted became final. While sitting in Çankaya, our former Minister of National Defense İsmet Yılmaz Bey said, 'These things are happening in Malatya.' We had a phone conversation there, I said, 'Ensure they surrender.' I talked to my wife, she was crying. We also became emotional from her crying. There was a non-commissioned officer who helped us at home. He had interned our families like a jailer. He was also a FETÖ member. He had cut off our communication. He wasn't letting us talk on the phone. He was in an extremely cruel attitude. These are faces my wife knows. FETÖ members had made publications on social media as if we were dead. My wife and children are in a miserable state.

"THEY PREPARED FOR YEARS"

We should all be grateful to our President here. He took an extremely stable stance. One must respect the vast majority of our armed forces, our police, and our gendarmerie who are loyal to their flag, their banner, and their duty. This business lasted 12 hours. They prepared for years. The fact that this attempt ended in 12 hours is a great event.

"I ANSWERED THE WRITTEN QUESTIONS"

These events happened, when the treacherous coup attempt ended, the judicial phase began, the legal phase began. Afterwards, a prosecutor friend of ours came. We gave our statement. He said, "Our basis was what we did in the light of the constitution, legislation, and science." We answered the questions. There is no situation where we don't go to the proposal coming from the Parliament. They sent us written questions, we answered. There was no demand again. I ask our friends from time to time. Did you read the answers we gave to the written questions? They said 'No'. We gave our answer to the research commission on what happened and what didn't happen for pages in the parliamentary records. They are standing there. There are statements we gave to the court, to the prosecutor's office. Everyone can reach, can look.

"I CRIED THERE"

There are very heroic martyr families. GATA had a burn unit. There was a private of ours there, probably from Bolu. A burn is an interesting thing, all the skin comes off, a white layer appears. It catches infection in the slightest way. That child's care was being done at GATA. We went to the family. The mother has been taking care of her child for a month or two. I cried there. The mother thanked us, saying, 'Why did you come all the way here, you went to trouble.' We cried there. This is a noble nation.

"THEY SURRENDERED THEIR MINDS"

Let it not be arrogance, let it not be the evil eye, this is not to boast. We can explain some things without talking. There were emotional moments when we met. I met my son and my wife. They were wondering 'did he die or survive?' Can you imagine people from whom you hear nothing but 'thank you, at your command' pointing a gun at you? You are using our cannon, our rifle, our plane against us. Where, at whom are you shooting? People you have been with for years. You know them all. That non-commissioned officer who tormented the children at home! A person acts humanely for the sake of the past. No! They are snapping, 'you can't talk, don't call again' they say. This is what we call a mankurt. They have surrendered their minds, they have become robots, mankurts. Other than the instructions given to them, they have neither human values nor national and spiritual values.

"THEY PUT DOUBT IN OUR MINDS ON JULY 15"

These put doubt in our minds. Now someone comes who is very upright, but you are suspicious. This is a very bad thing. In personnel management, this is not a situation that can be easily discarded. Be a soldier, be a civilian. This virus was introduced. While looking around us, we always say 'I wonder'. We trust no one as much as possible. Some municipalities put trucks at the doors, at the gates, right or wrong. We talked to our Prime Minister and President. We thought about whether there could be a second movement in those days. We thought it couldn't happen after so many arrests. They were extremely dark, difficult, exhausting days.

"WE STRUGGLED"

While the trench operations were being carried out, we went there very often. We became one with our friends there. This was one of the issues we regretted during the coup. There, the soldier and police had become one. 100 people had slept in a 50-person bed. Brother to brother, side by side. Our gendarmerie, police, and soldier commandos were one and together. This really developed an important success. There, the scoundrels martyred the police. They did things that the enemy wouldn't do. We protected our border security in Syria. Before the coup attempt, our President talked to Mr. Obama. When we reached the point of doing the operation, the Americans gave up. After the coup attempt, when generals, admirals, officers, and non-commissioned officers left the armed forces, a smear campaign was started. They spoke falsely, saying 'they can't do it anymore.' We thank God, since August 24, a serious struggle has been carried out against the Euphrates Shield and DAESH. There are dozens of coalition countries. They come from the air, drop the bomb, and leave. We are the only armed forces that fight chest to chest. We neutralized nearly 4 thousand DAESH members.

HOW DID GREECE RETURN THE HELICOPTER?

We met with the Greek Prime Minister, Mr. Tsipras, in Europe. We met on one occasion. 'The judiciary is independent in Greece,' he said. They somehow slipped out of it. Later, our helicopter came to Turkey, provided that the men stayed there. Terrorists continue their existence abroad. Both those who are there and those who fled there from here, joining them. They are striving to take on the identity of an international organization. They are trying to keep some people and units among us alive. You know they have famous dreams. We saw this, we saw that, this will happen on the holiday, etc. With the measures we have taken, we can say that the possibility of them taking action again is close to impossible. Water sleeps, the enemy does not sleep. It is essential for intelligence, the armed forces, our judiciary, police, and gendarmerie to be vigilant. The fight against terrorism is a matter of follow-up and measures. We never have the luxury of saying this business is over.

"85 MILLION WILL BE VERY STRONG WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE"

You will stop the bleeding. On one hand, you will repair the body. It is said that education is very important between the ages of 4-12. It is said that if the necessary opportunities are given until the age of 12, that child can learn 3 languages like their mother tongue. We should give our national and spiritual values to our children in nurseries, kindergartens, and primary schools, teach them that they belong to this nation, and give them our traditions, customs, and religion in the simplest way. When personality and identity are formed. There are memories in the middle. 'We were in contact with FETÖ, when we gave them this answer, they left and went,' they say. 85 million will be very strong with knowledgeable people.

WHY WERE MILITARY SCHOOLS CLOSED?

We presented what we knew and what we saw to our President on these issues. They listened and gave their instructions. This system continues successfully. Additional measures can be taken. The issue is not just war surgery, but a matter of mentality. In military medicine, necessary information on military subjects is given to our students. Communication can be provided more easily in the operation zone.

"OUR PRESIDENT'S FAVOR IS VERY HIGH"

We did a badge study for our personnel who had no illegal business in the Claw-Lock Operation zone. Our President's favor towards the personnel there is very high. In the coming days, it is quite possible to reward them with badges and medals.

"OUR HISTORY HAS BEEN HONORED WITH ISLAM"

We used to say 'Great and powerful Turkey' with our friends at school. We read Nazım Hikmet on one side and Necip Fazıl Kısakürek on the other. We have a glorious history. Our history has been honored with Islam. The last link is the republic link. We need to be great and powerful. This Turkey Century issue will not be a dream, it will be a reality. We talk everywhere, it's not talk, it's work. Just as athletics is the head of all sports, basic sciences are the head of everything.

WILL WORLD WAR 3 BREAK OUT?

We need to read our ancestors well. We need to look with science and reason. This is in no way contrary to religion, national, and spiritual values. When we look with reason and science, we see the events. Our ancestors said, 'Be ready for war if you want peace.' Always, even today, we need to be ready for war. If they had talked about COVID before, we wouldn't have understood. If they had talked about the Russia-Ukraine war, we wouldn't have believed it. Israel's genocide is obvious. Anything can happen at any moment. No one has the high spirit of the Mehmetçik. As a state, our responsibility is to give them weapons, vehicles, and equipment based on the most advanced technology.

We couldn't get the maintenance of the Herons, for which we paid, done in Israel. Thank God, we have reached high levels in the defense industry with the encouragement of our President. We made our tank, cannon, even our plane, helicopter, UAV, UCAVs. The Bayraktar issue is a very important issue. There is dedication here. There is the dedication of the late Özdemir Bey.

Thanks to this, we can conduct operations, we support our brothers in Azerbaijan. These are exported to friendly and allied countries. The risk of World War 3 is always there. The war has started in a way. War is, in a sense, the preparation phase, arrangements, diplomatic, political work, the establishment of alliances. After that, this is executed. Countries, blocs are continuing their preparations. The moment they see that they are sufficient in terms of time and space rights and interests, this war begins.

"COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT IN POLITICS"

Politics has rules. You will sit and talk with the citizen. After determining the rules and institutions, you will comply. Observation, reasoning, execution. It has legislation, it has internal regulations. We have friends from all parties in the commission. We pull the issues by talking one-on-one. Communication is important. Business management is important. We have very good relations with our friends in the general assembly. There are people who have expertise in very different subjects.

"OUR DAUGHTER BECAME AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT HACETTEPE"

I have a brother who was a tradesman, he closed it, he is making a living. I have a sister. During our General Staff Presidency, our ministry, they kept their commercial activities extremely limited, controlled. Our son studied at a university abroad. There was such an opportunity. He found a job there. He worked in a serious bank for approximately 20 years. Our daughter is a doctor right now. She went to a very respectable university in Chicago to become a doctor. Her grade point average is 4.0. She started like that, studied for 2 years. Her professors supported her. They said, 'You are studying to become a doctor, you don't have a guarantee of becoming a doctor at the end of this, there is an interview.' We took our daughter's information. We gave it to Hacettepe Medical Faculty. They evaluated it. Whatever the procedure was, it was done. The senate made the decision, they accepted it. Her English is very advanced. She was accepted to Hacettepe. She finished there, then she did obstetrics and oncology. She became an associate professor.

"WE ARE ONE AND TOGETHER AS 85 MILLION"

There were some practices in our youth that bothered us. A mother knows no language other than Kurdish. She is serving us. She will talk to him, how will she talk. Thank God, all of these are over. Some terror extensions still ask 'what happened'. A lot happened. We need to know the value of these. We say, we commemorate with mercy all our statesmen, commanders, martyrs, and veterans who worked for these lands to become a homeland, from Sultan Alparslan to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We are one and together as 85 million. I wish health and well-being to our noble nation on this meaningful day.

News Source: 12punto