Levent Göktaş Detail in the Alleged Assassination Case Against Applauding General İsmail Metin Temel

The July 15 trials are unraveling piece bypiece as the truth comes to light. Oneof these is the case referred to as the alleged assassination or detention attempt against former Van SecurityCorps Commander İsmailMetin Temel. The presenceof very strong evidence discredits the claims of the regime and the so-called victimized group. This evidence could overturn the regime's “Coup Plotter!” claim regarding Brigadier General Semih Terzi, and consequently the strongest arguments about July 15. As a result, there have been absurd interventions in this trialheld in Gaziantep. The involvement of certain cliques attempting to steer the case and the eventsthat unfolded duringthe trial are indicative of how the July 15 judicial regime has transformed into a regime of oppression.

Levent Göktaş Detail in the Case Proceedings

Before July 15, former Combat Search and Rescue (MAK) Regiment Commander Levent GÖKTAŞ, who participated in the "July 15 Plot Project ” meetings held in April with the participation of some politicians, members of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Zekai Aksakallı, was involved in the trial process. We remember Levent Göktaş as having been accused of being the instigator in the Hablemitoğlu assassination trial. Before addressing the mind-boggling interference in the case,let’s first try to understand the claims made by regime prosecutors and so-called victims, as well as the actualfacts of the matter.

According to the allegations, certain military personnel under the commandof Semih Terzi who allegedly engaged in activities related to the so-called coup were sentenced to life imprisonment on charges including the attempted detention or even assassination of Lt.

Gen. İsmailMetin Temel in Van, the detention of Brig. Gen. Halil Soysal,who crossed the border into Silopi and attempted to assume command,and conducting flightsdespite a flight ban.

So, what is the truth?

Battalion Commander Major İsmail Çevik,who was allegedly sent to apprehend Lt. Gen. İsmail Metin Temel on the night of July 15, statedthe following regarding the flight that night: "We were informed that it was a high-value target. But we did not land at the Van Security Corps Command." He stated that the helicopter touched down briefly in Van but took off again without shutting down the engine. Major Çevik stated, in his own words, that they were given a mission order to retrieve 13 individuals held hostage by the PKK terrorist organization and took off for this purpose. (As is known, these 13 hostages were martyred by the PKK during a rescue operation conducted in 2020. This information confirms the existence of the hostages.)

The Allegation of Unauthorized Flightis Unfounded

It was revealed duringthe court proceedings that İsmail Metin Temel, the official responsible for the flight zone, and Halil Soysal, who was ordered by Aksakallı to assume command, personally authorized the flight. This became clear through the reading of the flight logs requested by the General Staff in court. The claim of unauthorized flights is entirely false.

Flight logs presented in court revealedthat the flightsconducted by helicopters on the nightof July 15, 2016, bore the signatures of İsmail MetinTemel and HalilSoysal, indicating their authorization.

The “Incident Report,” which was included in the case file and bears Halil Soysal’s wet signature, states: "At 22:40, the helicopter with tail number 10049 was requested by the Gendarmerie Public Order Corps Commander İsmail Metin Temel to transfer from Van to Siirt within the chain of command. However,it was sent back to the ÖKHÜ Barracks due to the complete prohibition of flights.” (This report has caused a conflict between two generals, with each accusing the other of lying.)

The claim that Halil Soysal was apprehended is also false.

The basis of the claim regarding Soysal’s apprehension is nothing more than his imagination. His statements given at different times also confirm this. Upon entering the base from the border, Soysal was received in accordance with protocol and treated as a commander by Terzi's deputy, Celal Koca. Tea is ordered, and while they are drinking tea together, the soldierspresent, acting on Soysal's command,apprehend Celal Koca,who is accused of being a so-called coup plotter. Koca was caught completely off guard. In his court testimony, Soysal distorted the incident into the false narrative that he was the one being apprehended.

Lastly, let us recall that Captain Pilot Koray Nurgören, who flew Semih Terzi from Silopi to Diyarbakır, was acquitted in this case and has since continued his service with a promotion.

Such clear evidence and the contradictions in the testimonies of the allegedvictims seem to have necessitated the intervention of Levent Göktaş, the owner of MLG Law Firm. How did the process go?

Levent Göktaş's Intervention in the Case

One of the partnersat the law firm owned by LeventGöktaş is a retired Colonel.Göktaş carries out his involvement in the case through this partner. His partner regularly travels to Gaziantep and meets with detainees in the Gaziantep prison. There, they seek to identify individuals who could providestatements in favor of the regime's discourse. The person they findis Ali Özçelik, the pilot who flew the plane to Van that night. Göktaş and Zekai Aksakallı tried to manipulate this pilot through their partners, promising him that they could save him from punishment, or if not, that they would take care of his wife outside and provide him with financial benefits.

Subsequently, the lawyer who is Göktaş’spartner becomes the attorney for Pilot Ali Özçelik, who flew the plane to Van. Demet Özçelik, the wife of pilot Ali Özçelik, was hired at the law office owned by Levent GÖKTAŞ. Through Ali Özçelik and his wife, they gather information about the status and defense strategies of other defendants in custody.

Demet Özçelik attends the hearings and, despite the prohibition on note-taking for other observers, records everything discussed during the sessions. The purpose of these notes and to whom they were delivered remain unclear.

It is understood that this manipulation was largely successful, as evidenced by the incriminating testimony given by pilotAli Özçelik againstSemih Terzi and other defendants.

Levent Göktaş’s Attemptto Claim a Share of the Spoils Sealed His Fate

Let us turn to a claim regarding why LeventGöktaş was targeted in connection with the Hablemitoğlu assassination. Everyone involved in the July 15 project found themselves vying for a share of the spoilsin the post-July 15 environment. Those who claim rights reveal their role in the July 15 conspiracy. In fact, figures like Süleyman Soylu joined the game by inviting mafia groups under their control to TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation). One of the most evident areas where the "spoils" were up for grabs was northern Syria, specifically Idlib. There is a claim that Levent Göktaş and Tarkan Mumcuoğlu, attempting to leverage their skills from the July 15 project to gain influence in this region, stepped on some toes and were restrained by the Hablemitoğlu case. 

Dilaver Derviş