Who in the Judiciary Knew About July 15, the "Blessing from Allah," in Advance?

Many issues regarding July 15 have not yet been brought to light. It has been confessed by various people at different times that some had prior knowledge of July 15 and that they needed something extraordinary to purge the individuals they had previously blacklisted. Realizing it was impossible to push these blacklisted individuals out of the system through legal means, the political power and its collaborators made preparations across all institutions to carry out July 15, one of the greatest conspiracies in history.

Certain Groups Within the Judicial System Also Had Prior Knowledge of July 15

Staff Colonel Mustafa Barış Avıalan, who was a Branch Manager at the General Staff Personnel and Management Department during July 15, describes an event he personally experienced in his testimony at the General Staff "Roof" Case, which may indicate that certain groups within the judicial system knew about July 15 and were perhaps even involved in it.

In his testimony, Avıalan recounts:

“Now, I will describe an event I personally experienced that may serve as an indication that certain groups within the judicial system knew about July 15 and were perhaps even involved in it. This event might also concern the approximately 4,500 judges and prosecutors who were dismissed during this July 15 process. Perhaps in the future, I will even become a secret witness regarding this matter!

The location was the Bar Association social facilities in the Balgat district of Ankara. The date is certain, but I will suffice it to say just before July 15. I attended the wedding of a prosecutor who was a former friend of mine. Among the attendees were many high-ranking figures from the judiciary. Even the wedding witnesses for my old friend were members of the HSYK (High Council of Judges and Prosecutors) of that period.

At my table, there were 9 or 10 people, most of whom were my old friends. Sitting right next to me was a judge who held a critical position at that time, whom I did not know previously. When this individual learned I was a colonel, he stopped engaging with the others and we conversed privately throughout the evening. At that time, most conversations inevitably turned to the 'parallel state structure.' As a member of the military and a member of the judiciary, our conversation naturally reached this topic. In fact, he was the one who brought it up.

I gave him some information regarding the status of parallelists¹ in the TAF (Turkish Armed Forces). I mentioned my work in general and shared some of my evaluations. When the judge realized I was in a critical position dealing with these matters, his attitude toward me became even more cordial. At one point, I asked: 'Judge, how many of these parallelists¹ do you think there are in the judicial community?' He told me; 'We have identified them one by one,' and gave a figure of—if I recall correctly—around 3,500 or 4,500.

I asked, 'How were you able to identify them so clearly? Because the biggest problem we face is that we cannot identify these men.' Despite being a man of law, he said: ‘Colonel, there’s no need to be overly sensitive.' Then I asked: 'Well, what do you plan to do with these men?' He said exactly this: 'We will dismiss them all and lock them up.'

I asked him how many judges and prosecutors there were in total in Turkey. If I remember correctly, he said a figure like 10,000 or 11,000. Following that, I remember saying: 'Judge, the number you say you will lock up corresponds to almost half of all judges and prosecutors; for you to lock them up or throw them out of the system, something massive must happen—the earth would have to shake.' He laughed and said exactly this: 'Perhaps it will happen; besides, what are you there for, Colonel?'

At the time, I pretended not to understand and did not take it seriously. Then he told me he wanted to introduce me to a certain prosecutor—I won't give his name here, but he was a very influential and active prosecutor before July 15. I saw his name in our indictment. He said, 'We must definitely meet,' and asked for my phone number. Since I didn’t know exactly who this judge was, I was uncomfortable and refused to give my number, saying I take direct orders from Hulusi Akar and cannot contact others without his permission. He replied: 'Colonel, leave the Hulusi Pasha matter to us; that prosecutor I mentioned will handle it, you just relax.' He then gave me his own number and asked me to call him so he could have mine. I persistently refused.

When I consider the statement by prosecutor Necip Cem İşçimen at 23:05—analyzing everything before anyone understood what was happening—the act of prosecutor Serdar Coşkun recording events at 01:00 that had not yet occurred, and the dismissal of thousands of judges and prosecutors at 23:00 on the night of July 15... I believe that what was said by this judge points to significant things; more clearly, that some people knew about this in advance. I have concrete evidence to support what I have said. But now is the season for silence. When the time comes that such information is believed to 'add something new to the case,' I will tell everything in full with evidence.”

When July 15 is investigated by an honest and reliable judicial system that believes in the rule of law, it will be revealed how the political power and its collaborators orchestrated the July 15 plot step by step to carry out their plans and purge honest people within the state.

Tarık Ünal

¹ Translator's Note on "Parallelists" (Paralelciler): This term refers to the "Parallel State Structure" (PDY), a concept devised by the Erdoğan administration prior to July 15. Before the Gülen Movement was officially designated as a terrorist organization (FETÖ), this term was coined to label and criminalize opposition figures within the state bureaucracy and judiciary, providing a pseudo-legal framework for their subsequent purge.