July 15 Court: Pardon! No Such Thing as the "Peace at Home Council"

The presiding judge of the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court, overseeing the trial of General Akın Öztürk and other military personnel accused as members of the "Peace at Home Council" and held responsible for injuring 3,000 people on July 15, 2016, announced that the court had determined no such council, named the "Peace at Home Council," actually exists.

General Akın ÖZTÜRK, who is alleged to be the number one of July 15 in the trial held in the courtroom inside the Sincan Prison Settlement, stated that for six years he has consistently presented evidence disproving the accusations directed at him. He added the following:

"My name was not on the initial list referred to as the 'Peace at Home Council’. It was only after a confessing admiral in İzmir mistakenly mentioned my name that I was added to this list. That confessor later statedduring his testimony at the police that instead of saying 'AdilÖksüz,' my name cameout of his mouth, and heclaimed that he did not know or see me.

But my name was included in the indictment. It also turned out that there was no Peace at Home Council. I was not asked a single word about this during the trials. Yet my name is still mentioned as a memberof the Council. What kind of law is this? Do they not read at all?

Even though our case has not been resolved by the Court of Cassation, I am facing compensation lawsuits as if I am a member of the council. We had no trust in the law; it has hit rock bottom. I have been held in a cell for 7.5 years. I am in a complete state of isolation. I am 71 years old. I ask you to decide without fear. If we believe in what Hz. Omar said, 'The religion of the state is justice,'then act accordingly."

Following Army General Öztürk’s defense, the Presiding Judge reminded that they had designated the General Staff case as a reason for suspension. He stated, “The court of first instance ruled that the ‘Peace at Home Council’ does not exist. We will discuss thatfurther once the case file is returned.”

There are no serious injuries, but there is significant fraud!

Colonel (Staff) Cemil Turhan, whose trial is ongoing, provided specific examples from the case file related to the 245 injuries under examination in the 8th Mechanized Brigade case. He then stated the following:

As seen, fraud is rampant. The court became complicit in this fraud and convicted the defendants of premeditated murder. The way the judiciary operated during the trials related to July 15 is clear. Beyond the fraudulent actions of some citizens, I draw attention to the doctors and hospitals that issued these reports. However, there is a higher-level deception at play that surpasses even them. There are no serious injuries, but there is serious fraud. It is stated that 140 of the injuries were caused by firearms, yet no bullets were recovered from any of the bodies. It is evident that shotguns were primarily used, and the injuries resulted from this. In conclusion, significant efforts were made to increase the number of injured. I do not know how seriouslyyou will take this, but you stand at the threshold of either being apart of the July 15 judiciary or not.”

Where are these wounded?

In his defence, Brigadier General Murat Aygün noted that only 256 of the 2,558 wounded were brought to the General Staff Roof Case and that they were not given the right to ask questions, and said: "I was on duty in Polatlı that night. I went out with 500 people, not a single wounded person was injured. Where are these injured individuals? I request that they be brought in and that we be retried from the beginning.”

Colonel (Staff) Osman Kardal stated the following: “I am explaining this for the understanding of the new panel and prosecutor; a police officer claimed that his colleague had fallen from a tank and become a martyr, while he himself was injured. I am being prosecuted not for the martyr, but for the injured party. This is the state of our legal system. I also request that Hulusi Akar, who preemptively closed the entire airspace upon learning of the coup attempt, be prosecuted due to his role as guarantor. I was in the Operations Center that night. I was acquitted regarding the 11 martyrs and 43 injured at the General Staff Headquarters. Why am I now being tried for injuries from another location in this case?”

67 Foreclosure Cases for Membership in a Non-Existent Council

Major General Osman Ünlü, one of the soldiers still on trial: "I was acquitted in the General Staff Roof case, but I am still being prosecuted on charges of causing injury. You just mentioned that the Peace at Home Council doesn’t exist, yet I am facing 67 foreclosure cases based on claims of being a council member. Such things wouldn’t even be done to an enemy. Our families and children are being condemned to hunger. The state is undermining our children’s livelihood. Please send a written statement to these courts saying, ‘There is no Peace at Home Council.’

Brigadier General Ahmet Bican Kırken, in his statement, said: 

“For seven years, you have continued to avoid investigating and turning a blind eye to the betrayal and murders of July 15. For us, neither the past nor the future has been exhausted; but for you, the path has ended from all directions. You have become among the defeated.”