Social media dismissal for lieutenant: Investigation into 'Domestic car is for citizens, only the government can ride it' message

The investigation launched following the brawl between lieutenants at the Tuzla Infantry School has been expanded. Lieutenant I.T. has been dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) for sending a message to a WhatsApp group named 'IBAN' stating, 'The domestic car is for citizens, for now only the government can ride it,' and for posting an image of Atatürk holding a weapon over a photograph of President Erdoğan and Saudi King Salman.

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Social media dismissal for lieutenant: Investigation into 'Domestic car is for citizens, only the government can ride it' message

Ersin EROĞLU 12punto.com.tr

Seven lieutenants had previously been dismissed following a brawl that began when a lieutenant did not wear an Atatürk photograph on his lapel during the November 10 Atatürk Commemoration Ceremony.

Expanding the investigation at the Tuzla Infantry School, the TSK later dismissed another lieutenant, bringing the total number of dismissed lieutenants to 8.

The committee expanding the investigation at the Tuzla Infantry School examined the lieutenants' WhatsApp groups.

Lieutenant I.T. was dismissed from the TSK for sending a message to a WhatsApp group named 'IBAN' stating, 'The domestic car is for citizens, for now only the government can ride it,' and for posting an image of Atatürk holding a weapon over a photograph of President Erdoğan and Saudi King Salman.

According to information obtained by 12punto from security sources, the High Disciplinary Board stated that the reason for Lieutenant I.T.'s dismissal was that the posts were of a political nature.

ATATÜRK'S ARMED PHOTO QUESTIONED

Lieutenant I.T., who gave his defense to the Ministry of National Defense High Disciplinary Board, was first asked about his sharing of the photo of Atatürk holding a weapon in the WhatsApp group named 'IBAN'. When asked why he shared such a photo over the photograph of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi King Salman, Lieutenant I.T. said:

“It is a joke made regarding Atatürk's probable course of action as a result of Atatürk coming face to face with an Arab leader, in reference to the activities the Arabs carried out against the Ottoman state before the First World War.”

When asked, “What kind of joke were you trying to make?”, Lieutenant I.T. replied, “It was humor regarding the fact that Atatürk's attitude towards Arab leaders of that period would not be diplomatic. The subject is entirely related to my perspective on Arabs. I have no other intention.”

When asked about the message in the WhatsApp group stating, “Our domestic car is for citizens. For now, only the government can ride it,” Lieutenant I.T. stated that he did not remember it.

(The photos that led to Lieutenant I.T.'s dismissal)

WHAT HAPPENED IN TUZLA?

A fight broke out between a lieutenant who did not wear an Atatürk photograph on his lapel during the November 10 ceremony and a lieutenant who reacted to this.

The argument between the lieutenants continued in the following days. On November 13, some lieutenants hung an Atatürk poster on the door of dormitory number 405, where the lieutenants who did not wear Atatürk photographs were staying. A scuffle broke out between the lieutenants who reacted to the Atatürk poster and those who hung it. After the scuffle, Infantry Lieutenant A.A., who did not wear an Atatürk photograph on his lapel on November 10, went to Tuzla State Hospital to obtain a medical report for assault. When the hospital reported that no signs of assault were found, he went to the Tuzla Police Station and filed a complaint.

Following these developments, the Land Forces Command launched an administrative investigation. With the report prepared by the Disciplinary Investigation Committee on December 5, the dismissal of four lieutenants who reacted to those who did not wear Atatürk photographs was requested. The Disciplinary Investigation Committee also requested the dismissal of three lieutenants staying in dormitory number 405.

It was revealed that the lieutenants who did not wear Atatürk photographs had formed a WhatsApp group called 'Hubb-i fillah', which means 'loving for the sake of Allah', and that in the correspondence in this group, they went to a house on weekends, received books from an 'older brother' (a mentor), and mentioned a 'cause'.

Footage regarding the group of lieutenants acting together with the lieutenant who did not wear an Atatürk photograph at the November 10 ceremony at the Tuzla Infantry School inviting their subordinates to a house belonging to the Nurcu movement on weekends had been the subject of news reports.

In the footage, it was seen that another lieutenant staying in the same dormitory as the lieutenant who did not wear an Atatürk photograph was inviting his subordinates to a religious community affiliated with the Nurcu movement.

F.A., who invited his subordinate to the gathering, is one of the lieutenants who was removed from the school along with A.A., who did not wear an Atatürk photograph.

News Source: Ersin Eroğlu