A Lunch at National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and General Acartürk's Complaint

In this article, we will share a brief excerpt from a lunch that took place in March 2017 at the “Çiftlik Campus”, a facility of MIT, widely known to the public as a "torture center." When this excerpt, a dialogue between two classmates, is considered along with the identities of the individuals involved, it offers us clues about Turkey's recent past.

THE OWNERS OF THE STATE!

In recent years, through TV series like "Kurtlar Vadisi," the concept of the "state" has been referenced in various ways in our daily lives, whether deep or shallow, good or bad, and in multiple dimensions. Over time, we witnessed different adaptations of the “state mind,” the “gunslingers of the state,” the “traitors in the guise of heroes,” or the reverse. The media of July 15th trampled upon these concepts. Yet, his only crime was being disliked by the "owners of the state." The regime established by those who claim to protect the state in the name of the state, even against the state, by cozying up to Erdoğan, was, in reality, the product of years of profiling, preparations for purges, and an overnight operation to dismantle the rule of law. The gunslingers of this period, also known as the "alliance of thieves and murderers," are, in truth, not pleased with the turning of the wheels either.

Young Officers Are Uncomfortable!

Every military student has heard this phrase in one way or another. Just as those who only have a hammer see every problem as a nail, the "owners of the state" resorting to coups whenever they feel uneasy reflects a tradition that dates back to the Young Turks and beyond. In contrast, the Erdoğan administration has approached problems by prolonging them over time, forming alliances with enemies when necessary, and "managing crises" to reach the present day, presenting itself as a regime before us. Those who formed alliances with the Erdoğan administration and later claimed, "Next, it will be Erdoğan's turn," have gradually found themselves sidelined in disappointment. As individuals who have been co-opted and implicated in crimes by the new order, they will always feel the sword of either Erdoğan's judiciary or international law hanging over them. In this article, we will specifically address two individuals who fit this profile.

Scene

Date: 15.03.2017
Location: Lunch at MIT Çiftlik Campus
Our Heroes:

• Major General İdris Acartürk, Head of Department at the General Staff Intelligence
• Retired Colonel Kemal Eskintan, Head of Special Operations Department at MİT
• Uğur Kağan Ayık, Manager at MİT-OFB
• İlhan Kaya, Manager at MİT-GİB

İdris Acartürk: "Mistakes are being made in the “F…”.  Cases have turned into crony business. Some individuals are being rescued."

Kemal Eskintan: "Everything has been known for such a long time. There are still those among us who hesitate regarding the 'F...' issues."

İdris Acartürk: "I spent 2 years in prison. Those who allowed this will pay the price sooner or later. Political parties are temporary; the state is eternal. Whatever the state says, that happens. If the Chief of General Staff (Hulusi Akar) had given the order that night (on the night of July 15), everyone would have carried out their duties. However, the state thus gave Erdoğan the opportunity to fight against the 'F...'. We should look at the coup night from this perspective."

Our Heroes!

Intelligence officers prefer listening to talking. Perhaps due to their indiscretion, or maybe because they have a strong backing, our two heroes were not particularly concerned about the surrounding personnel overhearing this dialogue.

İdris Acartürk was retired with the 2022 YAŞ (Supreme Military Council) decisions. The special forces, the military espionage trial that he claimed was a "setup" (he was accused of providing documents named Atmaca and Fırtına, found on the Pandora hard drive, to a spy organization), nearly two years in prison, acquittal, transition to the General Staff, promotion, serving as brigade commander, participating in the Cross-Border “Barış Pınarı” Operation, commanding a division, and ultimately being dismissed after the Zaho tragedy. The Zaho tragedy (an incident in July 2022 where 9 people lost their lives and 29 were injured due to 155mm Howitzer shelling from the 23rd Division, commanded by Acartürk, in a picnic area outside the operational zone) not only led to Acartürk's dismissal but also placed his life in the hands of Erdoğan, whom he referred to as "temporary" during a lunch in 2017.

Kemal Eskintan, on the other hand, is a bit behind in facing his impending fate. Unlike his classmate Acartürk, he has not yet been dismissed, but his advancement has been halted. He did not rise to the presidency of MIT. He is quite resentful. Eskintan's (also known as Abu Furkan) baggage is quite heavy; his fate may not simply be to be sidelined. The role he played in Turkey leading up to July 15, his involvement in crimes committed on behalf of the regime in Syria, particularly regarding oil trade with ISIS and other radical organizations, and the series of events that led to him being recognized as "Turkey's Qassem Soleimani" in Libya, seem likely to cause him considerable trouble in the near future.

As we mentioned, we will not address İlhan Kaya, the prince of Hakan Fidan, and Uğur Kağan Ayık, who is responsible for the Paris assassinations, in this article.

Conclusion

The dialogue at the dinner, which took place on the date and place mentioned above, is in the nature of a confession. Our heroes provide us with clues about Turkey's process leading up to July 15, the subsequent national and international crimes, and the criminal partnerships that have turned into a form of a "Catholic marriage." We are witnessing the gradual dismantling of a clique that has negotiated with Erdoğan to undermine the law and the institutional structure of the state in a Turkey that has transformed into a party state.

Faruk Yılmaz