Turkish lieutenants face investigation after military dismissal

Five lieutenants dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) following a graduation ceremony on August 30, 2024, are facing a judicial investigation. The officers—Batuhan Gazi Kılıç, Ebru Eroğlu, Serhat Gündar, İzzet Talip Akarsu, and Deniz Demirtaş—were expelled after chanting slogans such as “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal” during their ceremony.

The dismissal was decided by a 5-to-4 vote within the Ministry of National Defense High Disciplinary Board. However, lawyers for the lieutenants allege that the initial vote was 7-to-2 in favor of not dismissing them, and claim that pressure from then-Land Forces Commander General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu caused the result to change. While a criminal complaint against General Bayraktaroğlu was dismissed by the Supreme Court Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to a lack of concrete evidence, the lieutenants have appealed to the Ankara Regional Administrative Court.

In a counter-move, the members of the High Disciplinary Board who voted for the dismissal have filed criminal complaints against the five former lieutenants. The board members have accused the officers of “public insult due to official duty” and “serial slander.” Consequently, the five lieutenants have been summoned to give statements to the prosecutor's office as suspects.