![\"AA](\"https:\/\/assam.org.tr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/cee635145ad7a438ae066c6b737ab964.jpg\" "\\"Adnan")
\nSEMRA ORKAN – Adnan Tanr\u0131verdi who is the President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Justice Defenders Strategic Studies Center (ASSAM), stated that praying in the barracks was prohibited during the 28 February process and that they were not given meal in order to prevent fasting; “These oppressions resulted in the discharge of 1,600 officers and non-commissioned officers out of the army”.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Retired Brigadier General Tanr\u0131verdi, who told the Anadolu Agency interviewer about his experiences during the 28 February process, stated that the incident that took place on February 28, 1997 was a memorandum given to the government, and said that it was held to eliminate the existence of believers in the state.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi said that the basis of this process is based on the 1960 coup, said that this coup formed the basis for other coups in Turkey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Adnan Tanr\u0131verdi emphasized that with this coup, a large number of personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) who did not support the coup were discharged, adding that 235 generals and 4,177 high-rank officers were affected by this process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi stated that what remained of the coup plotter personnel remained, “These also had a mentality that believed that the Turkish Armed Forces should definitely direct the political will. After the September 12 coup, this personnel began to settle and grow stronger within TAF. A junta was formed within the TAF against reaction. In those years, a friend from the same academic term of mine told me ‘a coup junta is being established, they want you too’. During that period PKK has emerged. This offer seemed very strange to me. Because I said, ‘What are they dealing with while we are fighting terrorists’ and I rejected this offer. This staffing at that time formed 28 February process. Before the personnel in TAF resign, they form a junta group like themselves and then they walk away. Therefore, this coup plotter junta continued in the TAF in order to guarantee their own future”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n – “I will not take any officer to the military academy whose wife wears a headscarf”<\/span><\/p>\n Emphasizing that after each coup, TAF ruled out those who opposed the coup, Tanr\u0131verdi stated that the pressure on believers in the army started to become harder especially in 1994.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reminding that a martyr funeral came to Istanbul almost every day due to the escalating terrorist attacks in those years, Tanr\u0131verdi said:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “I was also attending to every martyr funeral. When I was already gone, I was performing my prayer before the funeral prayer. However, all of our friends with high-rank neither entered the mosque nor performed the funeral prayer. While I was leaving a martyr’s funeral, a colonel, who was my friend from same academic term, approached me and said ‘brother, please stop praying. When I asked him why he said something like that, he replied, ‘brother, commanders wanted me to tell you this.’ Then, the chief of staff of that period came to visit me. My friend conveyed the message of the army commander to me, ‘Tell General Adnan, he is praying in the mosque, any critical situation can be reflected in the press, it would be a sensation, so warn him not to pray’. And I told him ‘I am a believer, if TAF need such a person, I am here to serve, if not they can do whatever they want. \u2018Don’t let them try to change my lifestyle.\u2019 I replied like this.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Adnan Tanr\u0131verdi stated that he was notified of a letter about the decision taken in December 1994, and said, “In this notification, there was information that 4 officers and 14 non-commissioned officers from my brigade were engaged in reactionary activities. They were warned because they were praying and their wives were wearing a headscarf, and those who did not obey this warning were asked to be removed from the TAF. In fact, an investigation was requested about the commanders who did not take action on them. I knew those young people, but I did not know they were praying and their wives were wearing headscarves. After researching these officers, I reported that all but one of them were patriotic and successful soldiers and that the investigation against them was removed. One of them applied to join the military academy and his wife was wearing a headscarf. At that time, the hijab was seen as a political object. I invited this couple to my house and asked his wife ‘why are you covering her head?’ And she said ‘I am covering it because of my belief’. Then I gave a positive report about this officer,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After this report, General Hasan I\u011fs\u0131z called Tanr\u0131verdi and said, “The commanders say, ‘General Adnan does not know this boy very well, so he should take back the positive report he gave.” Tanr\u0131verdi said, in response to these words, “I know this boy more than the commanders. That’s why I do not change my report about the boy”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi emphasized that the qualification certificate came back a week later and the officer’s application was not accepted and said, “After this, the Land Forces Commander visited us. ‘I received orders from your office about 4 officers and 14 non-commissioned officers who were engaged in reactionary activities, and I examined them. Doubts on others except one must be removed’ I said. Thereupon, the commander banged his fist on the table and said, ‘General Adnan, I will not take the officer whose wife wears headscarf to the military academy’. After talking this, I was appointed to the Land Forces Surgeon General Office. Then, when my term of duty expired, I was transferred to retirement\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n – “Young officers and non-commissioned officers suffered a lot”<\/span><\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi stated that high-ranking soldiers like him had the opportunity to fight relatively during the 28 February process, but promising young officers and non-commissioned officers suffered a lot, emphasizing that these people’s future were blocked.<\/span><\/p>\n Adnan Tanr\u0131verdi stated that intensive discharge from the TAF started after 1995 and it reached the highest level in the process of February 28, and continued his words as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n “Even the discharged personnel were prevented from find employment in the public or private sector. To some of them they told ‘You will not be able to find a job’. They were subjected to such a vengeful treatment. Those who were expelled from the TAF could not even tell their families about it for a while. They were under suspicion because of the understanding that ‘the only reason for discharge from military is ignominy’. Many people were aggrieved. However, if you want me tell you ‘a profession which should be religious’, it is military service. Because in which profession you have to go to the death? If he does not believe that he will be martyred, will the soldier go to the death? Soldiers must be religious, in other words believer. This is the case in countries of other religions, they strive to have their armies believers. But we try to adopt the contrary. The discharge of the officers due to their beliefs caused great damage both for the TAF and for our country.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n – “28 February was a coup and we should not forget it”<\/span><\/p>\n Adnan Tanr\u0131verdi stated that praying in the barracks was prohibited during the 28 February process and that they were not given meal in order to prevent fasting; these oppressions resulted in the discharge of 1,600 officers and non-commissioned officers out of the army.<\/span><\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi said that at the beginning of the most important reasons that led Turkey to military coups are political instability and constitutions that showed the coup beautifully, and today this purpose lies behind the request to change the Constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Tanr\u0131verdi pointed out that the election of the President by the people is an important step in preventing the coup process and said, “We need to make an effort to destroy the understanding of the coup. The duty of the TAF should only be to eliminate external threats. Military should not be used for internal security. I think the presidential system will block any possible coup attempt. 28 February was a coup and we should not forget it. The reasons must be eliminated so that February 28 does not happen again. For this, the legislation should be changed, the ideological staffing should be in accordance with the spirituality of the country and political stability should continue. In addition, the suffered personnel should benefit their rights and their aggrievement should be relieved”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n