Testimony of the alleged mastermind of the coup attempt Akın Öztürk, in FULL LENGTH
Former Commander of Air Forces Akın Öztürk, who was arrested in connection to the coup attempt, was referred to the court. Öztürk has denied the claims. On the other hand, the state-run Anatolian Agency (AA) had initially released a news piece saying ‘Akın Öztürk admits to having acted in intention to carry out a coup’. The Agency then published a correction on this:
“We are correcting and re-publishing our flash news which read as: ‘It is been reported that the Former Air Force Commander Akin Öztürk has testified during the interrogations on FETÖ’s coup attempt that he had acted with the intention to carry out a coup.’ Respectfully.”(AA)
According to the news on Hürriyet newspaper, the suspects of the coup attempt who had been taken into custody were brought to the courthouse in Ankara today by the Counter-Terrorism Police Force. Their interrogation has been completed.
All of the suspects, who were questioned by public prosecutors from the bureau of crimes against constitutional order, were charged with Turkish Penal Code’s following articles: violation of the constitution (309); conspiracy and virtual attack on the President (310); crime against the legislative body (311); crime against the government (312); establishing or running an armed organization (314); crime of homicide (82). With the decision of the court for their detention under these articles, they were referred to the criminal court of peace on duty.
Below is Akın Öztürk’s testimony in full length:
‘I’m not the organizer’
I’m not a person that had planned and ran the military coup that took place on 07.15.2016. I don’t know who planned and organized this military coup. On the day of the incident, there was a wedding of the daughter of a friend of mine in İstanbul. I needed to attend there. I couldn’t go to İstanbul. I couldn’t go because of some business I had at the notary.
I can prove that I was handling some things at the notary in İzmir. I was finished with these things at the notary at around 11:30. Then, at around 13:30, I came to Ankara in a military plane with the company of Land Forces Commander. I went straight to the Akıncı Base to see my grandchildren.
I spent time until evening at the Akıncı Base boarding house. There were ordinary landings and departures of planes at the Akıncı Base. Since there is always mobility there, I did not realize anything at first. I called the host of the wedding, Mehmet Şanver. I congratulated him.
Shortly after, he called me back. He said the planes were landing and taking off and asked what had happened. He said there were captions streaming on TV. I was also watching the news on TV. The Air Force Commander was also at that wedding.
‘I went over to the Chief of General Staff’
The Air Force Commander called me and said there were low-flying planed over Ankara; he asked me to intervene with that. So, I called the command post of the base. The commander at the base that I talked to was Kubilay Selçuk, who was there as a guest. He said the Chief of General Staff was also at the base.
Right away, I went over to him. I went over to the Chief of General Staff within the next five minutes or so. When I had arrived there it was dark but I don’t know what time it was.
I arrived at the base. In a room, Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, Major General Kubilay Selçuk and the Brigadier General Mehmet Dişli were drinking tea together. Chief said to me, ‘they did this; talk to them and convince them.’ I started talking to them. At that moment, there were people over tanks. The TV in the room at the base was on. I could see it. I tried to convince Kubilay Selçuk and Mehmet Dişli that the coup wouldn’t be successful, that the democratic institutions were in operations, and that people would react to this.
I kept screaming at them as they continued rejecting. Likewise, the Chief of General Staff also tried to convince them. I repeated myself three or four times. I don’t have authority to give them orders. However, as their elderly, I tried to give them suggestions to convince them, with the request of Air Force Commander Abidin Ünal.
‘My suggestions were taken; they got convinced’
At that point, an admiral with the name of Ömer - I don’t know his last name – came there, too. My suggestions were taken. They got convinced. Another plane did not take off from the base. Those that were already in the air continued their act. Those that had returned to the base did not lift off again.
I don’t know how long this effort of convincing took. When they were finally convinced, the Chief of Staff talked to Prime Minister. He said to me, ‘You stay here. Convince them fully.’ Then, he got on a helicopter and went to the Prime Ministry. It was around early hours in the morning but I don’t know what time it was.
‘They opened fire at me from planes’
I stayed at the base for about one more hour. I was going to go to the Prime Ministry once I was sure of everything. I got on the helicopter but at that time there were other planes and helicopters in the air. They opened fire at me from the planes flying. I returned to the base.
Some time later, I attempted to leave the base on a helicopter. I got wounded on my leg. I don’t know if the bullets that wounded me came from the planes or the troops firing on the ground.
‘His eyes were closed; I opened them. His hands and feet were tied up; I untied them’
I returned to the base. At that time, I was in contact with Mehmet Dişli. He had got on the helicopter with the Chief of General Staff and gone to the Prime Ministry. I was in contact with him through cell phone.
Then, I found out that the General Staff Second Commander (Yaşar Güler) was at the base. I went to the room he was in. His eyes were closed; I opened them. His hands and feet were tied; I untied them.
We didn’t get on the helicopter and leave the base with him because there were planes in the air. We stated at the base for a long time.
‘About 10 generals were held hostage at the base’
I found out at that point that Air Force Commander Abidin Ünal and other generals were in some other place at the Base. I first visited Abidin Ünal. About 10 generals were held hostage at the Base.
I posted two pickets to protect Abidin Ünal. Then, I went over to Yaşar Güler and told him about these. Yaşar Güler talked to the commander of the special forces. He said that he had come to the Base, too. We waited for about 2 to 3 hours. Arrival of special forces commander was delayed. He had arrived late because he had looked around many places before coming. Also, Yaşar Güler called on prosecutors to come to the site. Military prosecutors started investigating the site of incident.
While I was at the Base, I found out that Fahri Kasırga, land forces chief, chief of staff, adjutant, and executive assistant were also there. At that point, Commander of Special Forces Albay Murat entered the Base and rescued Fahri Kasırga and land forces commander. I’m not sure if he had brought out land forces commander or not.
Picking up Yaşar Güler first, we went to the spot where Air Forces Commander Abidin Ünal was at. Then, we rescued the air forces generals who were held hostage in the guest house. Then, although Abidin Ünal was in another car behind us, we came to the Air Forces Command along with Yaşar Güler.
‘I was handed over to the police’
We stayed with Abidin Ünal at the headquarters. Yaşar Güler went to his house. Since there were certain claims about me, I prepared a press release to deny these claims and I released it.
Then, I went home, too. I started to wait. I thought they were going to come and get me. At around 1:30 at night, the provost marshal took me into custody. Then, I was handed over to the police.
‘Hulusi Akar, Abidin Ünal, and Yaşar Güler are witnesses’
Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, Air Forces Commander Abidin Ünal, General Staff 2nd Chief Yaşar Güler and other air force generals that were there are witnesses. I want them to be listened to. Additionally, I’m one of the people who have been fighting against the parallel structure.
In this regard, former Chief of Staff Necdet Özel, retired air pilot Lieutenant Colonel, retired Sergeant Cahit Demirbüken and Head of MİT Hakan Fidan can be listened to. I submitted the list that came from Etimesgut Air Force Hospital to Hakan Fidan by hand. I told him to investigate it and report about it. I gave all the effort I could in order to fight against the parallel structure within the army.
‘I think, it was carried out by the parallel structure’
Based on my experiences, I think that this coup attempt was carried out by the parallel structure but I can’t really point out who in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) could have organized and realized it.
I don’t have any kind of information in that regard. They have listed me as the 2nd Chief of Staff to be appointed in the list. In reality, my rank is higher than the 2nd Chief.
I struggled a lot against this structure. During my duty at the air forces, I did not accept many people to the Air Force Academy because of their link to the parallel structure.
Actually, I carried out many activities to press that the incident in İzmir was not a case of espionage but a case of prostitution. TSK is a section of the nation. Selection processes of students for TSK are carried out very strictly. In spite of that, there are still leaks.
‘The person in Pennsylvania does not have the power to carry out this attempt’
I don’t know how many people linked to this structure are within the TSK and Air Forces.
The coup attempt can be an act of foreign missionaries who want to see a powerless Turkey.
The person in Pennsylvania does not have the power to carry out this attempt. The parallel structure may have been used in this attempt. I didn’t talk to the Major General Kubilay Selçuk and the Brigadier General Mehmet Dişli in detail about why they tried to carry out a military coup. I can’t know with what purpose it was done.
When I saw the Chief of General Staff, he had scars of wounds on his neck. I’m tired at the moment, I will be able to give more detailed statements later.
I didn’t exchange even a word with the general involved in this. And, this shows that I did not take part in it.
Source: https://www.birgun.net/