Behind the Scenes of the Balyoz Plot: Statements from Ertürk and Yaycı on Cem Aziz Çakmak's Anniversary

Emekli Amiral Cem Aziz Çakmak, one of the victims of the Balyoz plot case, continues to be remembered even though it has been exactly 11 years since his passing. In the scope of the commemoration events and statements for Çakmak, allegations regarding the period and remaining question marks have come back to the agenda. In this context, Eski Deniz Kuvvetleri Komutanı Orgeneral Türker Ertürk and Amiral Cihat Yaycı used expressions that will be much talked about in their special statements to Yeniçağ newspaper. The figures, who conveyed information about both the extent of the victimhood and the political background of the process, aimed to refresh the social memory. The focal point of these commemoration speeches was the details of the alleged counter-revolution process experienced in the country.

The most striking part of the statements was not the legal ground of the Balyoz coup plan case, but the organizational structure behind it. Ertürk and Yaycı argued that the process in question was not just a legal construct, but a planned counter-operation carried out within the state. It was described in detail how this process, characterized as a 'counter-revolution', darkened the life of the admiral and other defendants and the damage caused to the Turkish Silahlı Kuvvetleri'ne (TSK). These names, who defend the victim's legacy, emphasized that even though the truth has come out years later, the damages of the process have still not been remedied. In this way, it was not only the anniversary of a person's death, but a new perspective was brought to the case.

Amiral Cihat Yaycı's statements carried a warning nature particularly about alliances and political stance. He directed harsh criticisms to opposition parties and political actors to ensure that such plots experienced in the past are not repeated. Yaycı stated that the opposition must embrace a nationalist and local stance and avoid being on the same side with dissimulative structures. It was commented that these expressions indirectly referred to the current positions of political parties whose paths separated from FETİÖ in the past. Yaycı, who voiced his criticisms with a harsh style in the political arena, argued that society should not be allowed to be divided into sharp lines.

Orgeneral Türker Ertürk, on the other hand, recounted the period and Çakmak's person by placing them on an ethical center in his statements. He exemplified the retired admiral's stance of not giving up the struggle until his death and his upright posture. Ertürk once again reminded how vital the purging of the gaps that emerged in the military bureaucracy and the traitors within during the Balyoz process was. In this way, he provided information about the effects of past operations on the military, not only remembering a person. He emphasized that Çakmak's name would not be erased from history with such plots, but on the contrary, would continue to be remembered with honor. These words are important in terms of revealing the severity of the operation the Turkish army was subjected to in that period.

In general, these commemoration speeches and statements keep the memory of the Balyoz case, an important turning point in Turkish political and legal history, alive. This evaluation made on the 11th death anniversary of Cem Aziz Çakmak revealed not only the legal but also the political and ethical aspects of the experienced process. The harsh warnings directed at the opposition and the emphasis on 'counter-revolution' attract attention by showing parallels with current political developments. Such statements made to ensure historical facts are not forgotten possess an archive quality of information to be passed on to future generations. It appears that such dialogues continue for the compensation of grievances and the full emergence of the truth.