On the anniversary of the February 28 coup, a panel titled 'Lives Struck by the February 28 Postmodern Coup' was held. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Chairman of the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER), said, 'Young people in the Turkish Armed Forces, in particular, should not consider a coup as an option. In democratic systems, a coup is not an option. This is like divorce being an option in a marriage.' Tarhan noted that the Parliament is the voice of this nation, and added, 'No matter how much it is criticized, the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) is the highest authority. We must always prioritize its openness and democracy. In democracy, power lies not with individuals but with laws and rules.' Tarhan also stated that the February 28 process was an Atlantic project.
At the panel held at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Çarşı Yerleşkesi Emir Nebi1 Conference Hall, moderated by Gürcan Onay, Secretary General of the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER), the February 28 process was evaluated through books written by those who experienced the period.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "There was a project within the armed forces"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER), stated that he wrote his book "Psychological Warfare" after the February 28 process, and made important evaluations.
Stating that three historical events led to his encounter with February 28, he said, "In 1986, I was serving as a physician major in Erzincan. While the army commander was inspecting the hospital, he saw a calendar of the Directorate of Religious Affairs on the wall and, calling it a 'reactionary calendar,' harshly ordered its removal. This person had commanded special forces and later became a corps general. After that incident, question marks arose. I was also granted permission by the same corps general to be investigated due to a report requested for two soldiers. I encountered court for the first time, and my first assignment to Çorlu happened this way. Afterwards, I was assigned to Çorlu two more times. There was a project that aimed to govern all of Turkey, starting from within the armed forces."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "A big operation was conducted against GATA in 1995"
Reminding that Mehmet Ağar was the first minister to resign when Tansu Çiller was Prime Minister at the beginning of February 28, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "People need to know well where, when, and in what role they are. In 1993, there was a meeting in Belgium where new threats were evaluated. It was discussed that the Cold War had ended, Russia was no longer a threat for that period, and the conclusion was reached that a new enemy was needed. The military mind needed a new enemy. A new green belt was created. Then, the first operation took place at GATA in the summer of 1994. In December 1994, several generals came to GATA and made a report. In May 1995, 35 officers were transferred."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "The Twin Towers incident was defined as the globalization of February 28"
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that after the Welfare Party emerged as the first party in the 1995 municipal elections, the entire General Staff took action, saying, "They said, 'The title deed of the state is with us, and we will not give it to Erbakan.' When the September 11, 2001, Twin Towers tragedy occurred, the press and Turkish televisions ran headlines saying 'February 28 has gone global.' While nothing was clear yet, while it was not known who did it, agencies showed this approach. This is entirely an international project. In February 28, commanders were also used; they became pawns." Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan added that the February 28 process was an Atlantic project.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "A coup cannot be an option in democratic systems"
Stating that our well-intentioned and patriotic commanders sacrificed their lives because of international powers, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Young people in the Turkish Armed Forces, in particular, should not consider a coup as an option. In democratic systems, a coup is not an option. This is like divorce being an option in a marriage. 90% of those who say 'If I can't make it work, I'll divorce' when they get married end up divorcing. The phrase 'Everything is sacrificed for the benefit of the homeland' is the most famous slogan of coup plotters. This has become an ideology for them. Changes were made in the TAF laws regarding this, but no changes were made in the constitution on this matter. Unfortunately, all the constitutional grounds that would serve as material for coup plotters in this September 12 constitution continue."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "General Hilmi had foreseen the coup in 2003-2004"
Stating that an investigation was launched against him regarding an interview in a magazine about TAF forces and leadership, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued his words as follows:
"In the investigation, I stated that my work had scientific justifications and that I was doing what my profession required. Afterwards, I had to write the book Psychological Warfare. When I was invited to a conference at MİT in 2016, they brought me the book I had written. I saw that it was worn out because it had been read so much. The book had attracted great interest. What is most effective is not theoretical knowledge but experiences and stories. When you write about these events, people's questions are answered. Those who left the TAF were hesitant to reveal themselves. That's why we missed many stories. When it was published in 2004, the Chief of General Staff was Hilmi Özkök. He immediately acquired the book. General Hilmi had foreseen the coup in 2003-2004, which is why he is one of the secret heroes. We can also say that the Association of Defenders of Justice is one of the secret heroes."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "February 28 is the case of the Western Working Group"
Stating that when a country is occupied, the secret forces there become active, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "On February 28, the religious segment of society was seen as the enemy. The other segment applied a controlled tension strategy against them. A complete division occurred. I thought I needed to turn this into a book. The Western Working Group was officially mentioned for the first time in this book published in 2004. The February 28 case, in which 14 generals were convicted, is the case of the Western Working Group."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "The coup set Turkey back 40-50 years"
Emphasizing that coup enthusiasts will never cease in this geography, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Adnan Menderes did not take seriously the coup allegations conveyed to him by Alparslan Türkeş at that time. This was his biggest mistake. That coup set Turkey back 40-50 years. If May 27 had not happened, we would have been like South Korea. Technology would have advanced, science would have advanced, everything would have advanced. If the Parliament had been open, we would have matured by making mistakes. The Parliament is the voice of this nation. No matter how much it is criticized, the TBMM is the highest authority. We must always prioritize its openness and democracy. In democracy, power lies not with individuals but with laws and rules."
Tarhan: "The greatest injustices have been committed in the name of justice"
Emphasizing that democracy must be internalized if the goal is justice, Tarhan used the expressions, "Look at history, you will see that the greatest injustices have been committed in the name of justice, and the greatest wars have been carried out under the name of 'Peace Operation'..."
Retired Colonel Mustafa Hacımustafaoğulları: "February 28 started earlier in the armed forces"
One of the panelists, Retired Colonel Mustafa Hacımustafaoğulları, talked about his book "I Am Not Undisciplined," which he wrote under the leadership of the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER). Hacımustafaoğulları said, "In 1992, when I was a captain, on a winter day, within the Air Force, officers and non-commissioned officers who were deemed to be engaged in reactionary activities, according to them, were gathered in a place established in Ankara Etimesgut, which they designed as a prison environment. They called them there, and some stayed for 28 days, some for a week, some for 15 days. This project started in 1986. From 1986 to 1992, meaning within the armed forces, the notorious February 28 had started earlier. That is, the September 12 coup happened. The steps of the February 28 Postmodern coup were taken within the Armed Forces. Çevik Bir was already Kenan Evren's aide-de-camp. This was an illegal application of the Western Working Group. It had no legal basis. They called us there. They took our ties and shoelaces. I stayed in a cell for a week. It was monitored 24 hours a day. You were under psychological pressure. Enlisted men were beaten by non-commissioned officers. Those who did these were not US soldiers, but traitors within us."
Retired Colonel Kemal Şahin: "Unsigned denunciations were also processed"
Retired Colonel Kemal Şahin, in his speech quoting from his book "I Want to Be Judged," said that during the February 28 process, personnel with religious sensitivities within the armed forces were labeled, denounced, and subjected to injustices. Retired Colonel Kemal Şahin stated that at one point, due to too many unsigned denunciations, Çevik Bir was also disturbed by this situation and issued an order that unsigned letters would not be processed. Retired Colonel Kemal Şahin stated that a document was drawn up about him because his wife wore a headscarf, saying, "The document added to my personnel record stated: 'During my visit to his home, his wife was seen wearing a headscarf,' signed by Staff Colonel, Head of the Public Order Department. Can such a document exist?"
Evaluated mobbing in the book "Undesirable Soldier"
Dr. Şaban Çobanoğlu, Lecturer at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf Üniversitesi, in his speech focusing on the book "Undesirable Soldier," evaluated the events during the February 28 process from the perspective of mobbing. Çobanoğlu stated that the idea for this book emerged from the suggestion of his fellow soldiers who were dismissed from the army or forced into retirement by Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decisions, saying, "Their reputation was attacked, their communication was prevented, they were made to work in positions lower than they should have been, they were ostracized, and they were disdained and humiliated because of their religious and conscientious beliefs. Mobbing wears you down more than physical intervention. When you start giving a person this kind of psychological violence—ignoring, ostracizing, discrediting, giving them tasks that do not correspond to their title—for a period of 3 months to 3 years, you make them sick from within." Dr. Şaban Çobanoğlu gave examples of what soldiers subjected to mobbing experienced.
Yasin Şamlı: "February 28 is the name of the war waged against the faith of this nation"
Yasin Şamlı, President of Bar Association No. 2, stated that during the February 28 process, not only members of the armed forces but also students suffered great injustices. Yasin Şamlı said, "February 28 is the name of the war waged against the faith of this nation, against the symbols and elements of Islam. So why was this war waged? Or when did this war begin? Contrary to what is believed, it did not start in 1997, it started earlier. This start time began with the collapse of the USSR, the fall of communism. At that time, the US portrayed Islam as an enemy." Yasin Şamlı added, "February 28 is also an attack on Islam's potential for unity, to gather the ummah. July 15 is also like this. In its essence, by its planners, by its implementers."
At the end of the panel, the authors also signed their books for the participants.