Behind the scenes of the lieutenants' dismissal... 'Pressure was put on reporting officers and they were made to watch commentary from figures close to the government!'

Lieutenants Ebru Eroğlu, Batuhan Gazi Kılıç, Deniz Demirtaş, Talip İzzet Akarsu, and Serhat Gündar were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) after gathering again following the official graduation ceremony on August 30 Victory Day to recite the Officer's Oath, cross their swords, and chant the slogan, "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal."

The Ministry of National Defense (MSB) announced that following the disciplinary investigation conducted into the incident, 3 commanders also received "separation penalties." In this context, Company Commander Major Murat Öztürk, Battalion Commander Staff Lieutenant Colonel Halit Türkoğlu, and Deputy Regiment Commander Colonel Mustafa Alper Topsakal were removed from the TSK.

While the dismissal decisions sparked widespread public reaction, Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Terkoğlu included striking allegations in his column. Terkoğlu claimed that pressure was exerted on the lieutenants' first and second reporting officers during the decision-making process.

In his article titled "The Undefeated Lieutenants," Barış Terkoğlu wrote the following:

"We all know. In fact, the decision was supposed to be issued on November 25, as the minister announced. However, the officer evaluations prepared for the investigation file were not written as desired. And because of this tension, the files were not ready by November 25. Those who read the file could see that there was interference from above. So much so that... It is said that that commander, whose name everyone knows, had written the note 'correct it and send it back' in his own handwriting on the evaluation form. Then...

Again, another commander whose name everyone knows began pressuring the soldiers who were the lieutenants' first and second reporting officers. He called them to his office repeatedly. He tried to persuade them. He went so far that... He sent them commentary made by pro-government figures on television channels and demanded they watch it. The reporting officers resisted again. This time, they were faced with threats of not being sent on temporary overseas assignments and being reassigned elsewhere if they did not write what was requested. They even began looking for soldiers who would write what was wanted.

Finally, on December 14, in 'that room,' the desired evaluation was forced upon the two reporting officers under pressure.

In short...

Do not say, 'This is how the High Disciplinary Board (YDK) decision came out.' The decision that was already determined, the decision that was prepared, the decision for which all documents were arranged, the decision created through pressure and threats, was simply written down.

That is not all.

HARSH WORDS FOR LIEUTENANT EBRU

About two weeks after the lieutenants' graduation ceremony, a commander in a critical position visited the Artillery School. First, he appeared before all the lieutenants. Then, he gave the service numbers of 10 lieutenants. He said he would speak with these individuals privately. A total of 6 hours of meetings took place. He had the harshest conversation with Lieutenant Ebru. He told her that she was the primary person responsible for what happened. The sentence, 'No indiscipline goes unpunished in the TSK,' was already signaling the decision that would come months later."