The 17-25 December claim that resurfaced years later... Erdoğan was packing his belongings! That person intervened

Journalist Sedat Bozkurt, in his article titled “Is the state with Erdoğan, or is Erdoğan with the state?” published on kısadalga.net, shared striking information regarding the behind-the-scenes of the 17-25 December operations, which were one of the breaking points in Turkey's recent political history.

According to Bozkurt's claim, in the first days of the operation, then-Prime Minister Erdoğan had begun packing his personal belongings in his office. However, Undersecretary to the Prime Ministry Efkan Ala, who stepped in during that process, persuaded Erdoğan to abandon this decision, and the state apparatus quickly took a position.

ERDOĞAN CONSIDERED RESIGNING

According to Bozkurt's account, Prime Minister Erdoğan experienced a major shock following the first investigation that began on 17 December 2013. The scope of the operation, the records in hand, and its impact on public opinion were so great that Erdoğan went to his office and began packing his personal belongings.

It was precisely at this moment that Undersecretary to the Prime Ministry Efkan Ala intervened and told Erdoğan that they could “repel this attack.” Thus, Erdoğan decided against leaving his post.

STATE MECHANISM MOVED RAPIDLY

With Efkan Ala's intervention, a comprehensive counter-move was launched against the operations. The Istanbul Police Chief and the Governor were dismissed, and subsequently, Ala joined the cabinet as Minister of Interior. Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ intervened on the judicial front, managing the appointments of prosecutors and judges, and was later appointed as Minister of Justice. Binali Yıldırım, as the political actor closest to Erdoğan, provided critical support.

During this process, the operations ceased to be corruption investigations and were defined as a judiciary-police-centered attempt against the government.

WHY WERE THE INVESTIGATIONS CLOSED?

Bozkurt stated that following these developments, the state positioned all its power around Erdoğan. The article included the statement, “The intervention of the Undersecretary to the Prime Ministry, that is, the highest-ranking bureaucrat of the state, Efkan Ala, is the clearest indicator that the ‘state’ took on the task for that day.”

It was emphasized that the state, including the judiciary, the security bureaucracy, and even elements that would attempt a coup in later years, took sides with Erdoğan. It was claimed that with this choice, the 17-25 December files were completely closed.

WHO IS WORKING WITH WHOM?

Sedat Bozkurt included the following statements in the final part of his article:

“At that time, Efkan Ala represented the ‘state’ as the highest bureaucrat of the state. It would not be an exaggeration to say that now, Bahçeli, who ‘calls Öcalan a leader,’ represents the state. A new regime is being built, and this regime cannot exist without Erdoğan.”

Bozkurt stated that despite the decline in Erdoğan's support, he is quite comfortable politically, and criticized the weakness of the opposition with these words:

“Don't mind me calling them a rival; they exist in the polls, but whether they exist or not at election time remains the biggest question.”

The article also emphasized that the 17-25 December process is remembered as the “Week of Fighting Against Bribery and Corruption,” a name given by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. According to Bozkurt, this period is also the most accurate starting point for understanding the judicial debates that the CHP has also entered into.