Major General who said 'Yes' to the dismissal of lieutenants promoted: Lieutenant General who opposed the dismissal retired

The controversy surrounding the military cadets who were disciplined and dismissed from the TSK for chanting "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal" at the Military Academy graduation ceremony is back on the agenda with a new appointment.

The then-Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, Lieutenant General Tevfik Algan, was among the minority who opposed the dismissal decision in question. However, this stance resulted in Algan being removed from his post.

ALGAN CALLED THE DISMISSAL ''UNLAWFUL''

The dismissal of the Military Academy top graduate Ebru Eroğlu and her 4 colleagues from the TSK was not decided unanimously, but by a vote of 5 to 4. Lieutenant General Tevfik Algan was one of the members who dissented and opposed this decision.

The dissenting opinion of Algan and the other 3 members included the following statements:

“There was no order stating that the oath in question should not be recited at the end of the official ceremony, and its content does not violate Article 2 of the Constitution or the Military Academies Law. The recitation of the oath in question, even if unplanned, does not damage the reputation of the TSK or the state. For this reason, we do not find it appropriate to impose the penalty of separation from the Armed Forces on the relevant personnel. We do not agree with this penalty as a matter of fairness.”

REMOVED FROM POST, REQUESTED RETIREMENT

Algan, who opposed the dismissal, was removed from his post shortly after. Lieutenant General Algan was first sent to a winter exercise and then assigned to the 3rd Army Command. Following these developments, Algan requested retirement and left the TSK.

REPLACED BY A MAJOR GENERAL WHO VOTED FOR 'DISMISSAL'

According to information provided by 12punto columnist and veteran journalist Müyesser Yıldız, a Major General who voted in favor of the dismissal has been appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces to replace Lieutenant General Algan.