Ismail Küçükkaya's response to Minister Güler's statement on lieutenants: 'It's clear they will dismiss them...'

Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler made a statement regarding the lieutenants referred to the High Disciplinary Board. In his remarks at the Military Academy Graduation and Flag Handover Ceremony, Minister Güler claimed that the issue was not about saying "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" or reciting an oath, but rather a matter of deliberate and organized indiscipline.

Halk TV presenter Ismail Küçükkaya, meanwhile, made comments regarding the recent process involving the lieutenants.

'THEY HAVE MADE UP THEIR MINDS, THEY WILL DISMISS THE LIEUTENANTS FROM THE ARMY...'

On his "Yeni bir sabah" program, Ismail Küçükkaya evaluated Güler's statement, noting that Güler was attempting to shape public opinion, and said, "They have made up their minds. They are going to dismiss these brilliant young people, these soldiers of Mustafa Kemal, from the army. They have made up their minds. They are going to make a mistake."

'THEY WILL BE LIKE HILMI ÖZKÖK...'

Ismail Küçükkaya also assessed, "If he wonders how he will be remembered in history if the lieutenants are dismissed from the army, he will be like Hilmi Özkök."

"If they dismiss these lieutenants from the army. Look, I'm not saying if they punish them. They might be punished. I don't know, but it's in the regulations. People who know the regulations very well, like Dursun Çiçek, say so. But if they dismiss these lieutenants, especially our top-ranking lieutenant, the top graduate of the military academy, from the army, Yaşar Güler, look, I am not making a positive or negative reference. If he wonders how he will be remembered in history, he will be like Hilmi Özkök.''

If Yaşar Güler is truly wondering "What kind of personality and identity will they have in the future?" if these lieutenants are dismissed from the army, he can look at former Chief of General Staff Hilmi Özkök. I predict that he could be, and will be, exactly like him. I state that I am not making any positive or negative reference."

HIGH DISCIPLINARY BOARD PROCESS REGARDING THE LIEUTENANTS

The full statement made by Minister Güler at the National Defense University Military Academy Graduation and Flag Handover Ceremony regarding the referral of some lieutenants and personnel to the High Disciplinary Board (YDK) is as follows:

"The preservation and maintenance of established discipline in the Turkish Armed Forces is indispensable. We have stated many times that we have looked at the incident from the perspective of discipline from the very beginning. The issue is not about reciting an oath that has been abolished or saying 'We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,' but about committing a deliberate, organized, and planned act of indiscipline despite the warnings of superiors. The investigation and inquiry conducted regarding the incident have nothing to do with the text recited or its content. During the disciplinary investigation, no lieutenant was asked about the content of the text or why they said 'We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal.' What is important here is that, regardless of the content, the disciplinary process will always be carried out in the same way and discipline will never be compromised. The High Disciplinary Board process is ongoing. The board has not yet made its decision. It is not appropriate to express a definitive opinion at this stage. Let us all wait for the result together."