Indictment against 5 lieutenants dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces: Request for up to 4 years in prison

A new legal process was initiated against 5 lieutenants who were dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces on the grounds that they crossed swords and shouted the slogan "We are Mustafa Kemal's soldiers" after the graduation ceremony of the Military Academy on August 30, 2024.

According to Sözcü, in the indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested to file a public lawsuit against Batuhan Gazi Kılıç, Deniz Demirtaş, Ebru Eroğlu, Serhat Gündar and Talip İzzet Akarsu for the crime of "slander".

In the indictment, current Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, who served as the Commander of the Land Forces at the time when the lieutenants were dismissed, was listed as "victim" and the members of the Supreme Disciplinary Board of the period were listed as "complainants".

The decision to expel five lieutenants from the Turkish Armed Forces was taken by the High Disciplinary Board with 5 votes to 4. The lieutenants' lawyers filed a criminal complaint against Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, claiming that the board members were pressured and the votes were changed during the decision-making process.

In the review of the application in question, it was evaluated that there was not enough evidence to support the allegations and no action was taken.

Following the lieutenants' criminal complaint, the members of the Supreme Disciplinary Board of the period, who voted in the dismissal decision, also took action. In the indictment prepared upon the complaint of the board members, it was argued that the allegations that the votes were changed as a result of pressure were not supported by concrete evidence.

The prosecutor's office stated that they could not find any witness statements, documents or other material evidence showing that the board members were given orders or instructions to change their votes. For these reasons, it was claimed that the lieutenants' statements constituted the crime of "slander".

In the four-page indictment, it was requested that 5 lieutenants be punished with imprisonment from 1 to 4 years within the scope of Article 267/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). In addition, in case of possible conviction, they were asked to be deprived of the use of certain rights in accordance with Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code.

It was stated that the trial of the lieutenants will begin on February 9, 2027.

The date of preparation of the indictment also attracted attention.

Lieutenants Ebru Eroğlu and Talip İzzet Akarsu participated in our writer Barış Terkoğlu's program on Gelen TV on October 12, 2026 and made statements regarding the expulsion process.

It was learned that the indictment was prepared on October 13, 2026, one day after this publication.

After the graduation ceremony of the Military Academy held on August 30, 2024, a group of lieutenants crossed their swords and chanted the slogan "We are Mustafa Kemal's soldiers." After the images received widespread public attention, a disciplinary process was initiated against 5 lieutenants and 3 commanders.

The High Disciplinary Board within the Ministry of National Defense decided to expel 5 lieutenants from the Turkish Armed Forces.