Following a controversial display by freshly graduated Military Academy students during the graduation ceremony on August 30, 2024, the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) announced that an ongoing investigation has been placed regarding the incident.
The Ceremony
The graduation ceremonies for the three National Defense University (MSU) academies — the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy — were held on August 30 and August 31, 2024. The Military Academy graduation ceremony was held in Ankara, while the other two ceremonies were held in Istanbul. Among the graduates were 1,582 Turkish citizens and 103 international students.
For the first time in history, the students who received the top honors from all three academies were female. The top students from the Military, Naval, and Air Force Academies were, respectively, Lt. Ebru Eroğlu (24), Lt. Şeyda Yıldırım (22), and Lt. İkra Kuyumcu (23). They received their diplomas from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who attended all three ceremonies.
During the Military Academy graduation ceremony, the cadets, led by their valedictorian, Lt. Ebru Eroğlu, raised their swords and chanted in unison, “We are Mustafa Kemal’s soldiers.” The students also took an oath to protect the independence, honor, and values of the Republic of Türkiye. Images and videos of the display were shared online and quickly became a widely debated issue in the country.
A Political Debate
At first, on August 30th and 31st, President Erdoğan expressed his congratulations to all the cadets with various posts on the social platform X. Furthermore, he drew attention to the success of the female students stating, “This is not a coincidence, our girls' real interest and concern in our military schools, their work and the struggle they put up, and as a result of this struggle, the results achieved on land, air and sea.”
However, despite his initial praise, during the 21st Imam Hatip Students Congress in Kocaeli on September 4, 2024, Erdoğan expressed his outrage at the impertinence saying, “Recently, at the graduation ceremony, some abusers came forward and drew their swords.” He continued by asking, “Who are you drawing your swords against?”
The president made it clear that he viewed the demonstration as a political act and ensured that all relevant individuals would be “swiftly cleared.” Erdoğan mentioned that discussions between the Defense Ministry and the Land Forces Command have taken place to devise an action plan for the “clean up” of the alleged exploiters. The president stated that he viewed this act of indiscipline as a threat that could harm the Turkish army. He based his declarations on the account that the army was no place for political discussion, and called those behind the act impertinent. His words painted the display as a defiance of the regime, but his adamant, yet, belated criticism towards the lieutenants and wish to purge the army of all those responsible raised eyebrows nationwide.
According to BBC News, the Ministry of National Defense (MSB), launched an investigation into the cadets’ sword oath. On Thursday, September 5th, the Press and Public Relations Advisor of MSB Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk spoke at a press conference regarding the issue. He announced that the incident was under examination within the scope of disciplinary legislation. He added that there is no room for anti-disciplinary actions in an establishment like the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), where maintaining discipline is one of the core foundations.
Above Politics?
Though the presidency seems adamant about scrutinizing the actions of the lieutenants, there are several civilians and administrators alike who are infuriated with the treatment the cadets are receiving for pledging to honor the founder of their country. Several social media users have commented on the injustice and created hashtags to indicate that they stand in solidarity with the students on social media platforms like X and Instagram.
There have been several officials who have voiced their opinions on the situation. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel reacted to the news claiming that the investigation was a “political move.” On Saturday, he made a post on his X account condemning the use of newly graduated lieutenants for political purposes. Additionally, CHP Spokesperson Deniz Yücel conveyed his disapproval of the investigation saying, “Opening an investigation into young lieutenants just because 3-5 troll accounts tweeted is a lack of national consciousness and helplessness.”
On the other hand, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik stated that it is unacceptable to insult lieutenants. In a statement regarding the issue, he remarked that internet trolls were trying to twist the display into a movement against AKP, the ruling party in Türkiye. He went on to say, “Everything is examined and evaluated, if there is indiscipline, this indiscipline is addressed, but the attitude of some retired soldiers, politicians, and writers who are trying to revive a tutelage through this image by speaking from the outside is also wrong.”
Among all of the political debate, the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu commented on the topic saying, “The loyalty of TSK and our lieutenants to Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is above politics.”
What will become of the lieutenants is not yet clear; however, the entire country is in turmoil regarding their fate. As of now, the lieutenants have not made any statements regarding the issue. However, this much is clear: everyone has a different idea of what their display meant. While some people believe it to be a cheerful and proud celebratory movement, others are under the impression that it was a display made in defiance.