Erdoğan makes 'sword oath' reference at Military Academy graduation: 'The price will be heavy'

Highlights from President Erdoğan's remarks are as follows:

"We are holding our graduation ceremony on a very meaningful day. I congratulate all our citizens on Victory Day. Our heroic army became one with our noble nation and achieved victory. The imperialists were erased from these lands forever."

"On August 30, our nation proved once again that it will never consent to humiliation and will not compromise its freedom. Our nation does not bow to captivity."

"Our Turkish Armed Forces are stronger, more deterrent, more cohesive, and have a much more advanced capacity today than they were 9 years ago."

"We will hopefully implement our 'Strong Turkey, Strong Army' motto step by step in all its layers."

"THE SLIGHTEST COMPLACENCY WILL HAVE HEAVY COSTS"

"Those who made insidious calculations about Turkey thought they had cut off our arm on July 15. They saw in a very short time that what was cut was only our beard. As for us, we cut off the heads of the snakes they had been feeding and raising for 40 years."

"Those who try to wear down our heroic army will find us before anyone else. We will not let anyone trample on your rights and laws."

"It is possible for our army to perform its duties to our nation properly only by always maintaining discipline. The slightest complacency shown in this regard will have heavy costs."

REMINDED PEOPLE OF THE LIEUTENANTS WHO DREW SWORDS LAST YEAR

Erdoğan's statement brought to mind the lieutenants who were given 'Separation from the Armed Forces' penalties for drawing swords and taking an oath at the Military Academy last year.

WHAT HAPPENED?

A graduation ceremony was held at the Military Academy on August 30. State officials, primarily President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, attended the ceremony. After the state officials departed, the newly graduated young lieutenants drew their swords and took their traditional Officer's Oath.

The graduating lieutenants raised their swords into the air and said, "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal."

Following this oath and slogan, the lieutenants were referred to disciplinary action. In a statement to the press on November 8, the Ministry of National Defense announced that 'lieutenants acting in an organized manner and other personnel with intent, fault, negligence, or responsibility' had been referred to the High Disciplinary Board (YDK).

MSD sources stated, "What is being questioned here is the lack of discipline and the motivation behind it." It was stated that the lieutenants had gone beyond the scope of the oath.

The traditional oath of the lieutenants is as follows:

“We swear that we will be found facing those who reach out to the independence of the secular, democratic Republic of Turkey, the indivisible integrity of the country, the honor and dignity of the supreme Turkish nation, and even an inch of the sacred homeland, and our swords will always be sharp and ready. We are the children of the Turkish future. We were born with honor, we will live with honor. How happy is the one who says I am a Turk!”

This oath was led by the top graduate of the time, Ebru Eroğlu. After taking their oath and drawing their swords, the lieutenants were targeted by many political figures.

While it is stated that the oath subject to the disciplinary investigation was first added to the National Defense University Ceremony Directive on January 29, 1999, it was emphasized that it was removed from the directive on March 29, 2023.

'SEPARATION FROM THE ARMED FORCES' PENALTY WAS GIVEN

The Ministry of National Defense announced that 3 sequential disciplinary superiors and 5 lieutenants were given the 'Separation from the Armed Forces' penalty in accordance with the mandatory provisions of the Turkish Armed Forces Disciplinary Law and the Turkish Armed Forces High Disciplinary Boards Regulation, as well as other relevant legislation.

News Source: İHA