Ankara 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance accepted an indictment charging Batuhan Gazi Kılıç, Deniz Demirtaş, Ebru Eroğlu, Serhat Gündar and Talip İzzet Akarsu, who were expelled from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), with “slander” and set the first hearing for 9 February 2027. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office sought prison sentences of between one and four years for each lieutenant, as well as deprivation of certain rights, over their criminal complaints against Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and members of the High Disciplinary Board. The lieutenants alleged that board members were pressured during the dismissal decision, that some changed their votes and were rewarded with promotions. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Cassation did not process the complaint, while the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation after board members filed complaints. Prosecutors argued that there was no material evidence supporting the allegations and that the application could not be considered an exercise of the right to complain. The five lieutenants and three commanders were expelled from the TSK following a disciplinary investigation after lieutenants crossed swords and chanted “We are Mustafa Kemal’s soldiers” at the Military Academy graduation ceremony on 30 August 2024.
9 November 2026
Independent Türkçe