Not a Coup but a Trap: How Brigadier General Ünlü Was Lured into a Trap! - Part 2

What Happened That Night in Hozat

On the night of July 15, personnel at the 51st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Hozat tried to make sense of what was unfolding. Ünlü, who was on vacation at the time, contacted Colonel Suat Erdoğmuş, who was deputizing as brigade commander in his absence. Maintaining the chain of command, Ünlü prevented any impulsive actions. (A few months later, during hearings at the Elazığ Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium held by the 2nd Heavy Penal Court, accusations would be made that Ünlü had been preparing forces in Hozat to take control of the 8th Army Corps in Elazığ. These claims would later be dismissed after years of legal proceedings, with the court concluding that no constitutional crimes had occurred in the brigade that night.)

Ünlü instructed Erdoğmuş, who was also the district garrison commander in Hozat, to contact local officials to clarify the situation. Erdoğmuş invited the Mayor Celaleddin Polat, Prosecutor İlhan Öztürk, District Governor Bekir Demir, Police Chief Osman Demir, and District Gendarmerie Commander Major Mahmut Aydın to the brigade headquarters. (The local officials did not find this invitation unusual; they were familiar with the brigade as they regularly attended intelligence coordination meetings held there every Tuesday. To ensure their comfort, Erdoğmuş seated the guests in the usual coordination meeting room.)

In his 2017 court testimony, Mayor Polat described that night as follows:
"They greeted me with a ‘welcome.’ The military personnel were making calls, trying to understand what was happening. The police chief was armed and was not detained. We informed our families that we would be delayed."

As the night wore on, Çardakçı called Hozat District Gendarmerie Commander Major Aydın. He inquired whether there was any unusual activity and learned that Aydın was at the brigade headquarters. Çardakçı then requested to speak with Erdoğmuş. This time, Çardakçı adopted an anti-coup stance. In his 2017 testimony, Çardakçı recounted their conversation:
"I told the battalion commander that this coup attempt was illegal. The battalion commander said he had invited the prosecutor, mayor, and police chief for tea. As the regional commander, I insisted that my orders be followed, but I felt they were refusing to comply and instead taking orders from Abdülkerim Ünlü. I made it clear that they could not take orders from Ünlü but only from me."

Ünlü’s Arrest and Its Aftermath

Eventually, Çardakçı decided to communicate directly with Ünlü. He spoke in a friendly manner, giving no indication of suspicion, and instructed Ünlü to proceed directly to the 8th Army Corps headquarters. The amicable tone, coupled with Çardakçı’s anti-coup rhetoric and senior rank, reassured Ünlü, who complied and abandoned plans to return to Hozat, heading instead for the headquarters. Çardakçı immediately informed Yılmaz Uyar, who ordered that Ünlü be detained as soon as he arrived.

Upon his arrival at the headquarters, Ünlü was detained. This marked the beginning of a period of intense pressure and torture for him. For several days, forced statements were leaked to the press, claiming they had been extracted from Ünlü. Alleged lists of personnel who would supposedly join the coup were used to justify the detention of dozens of soldiers. At his first trial, Ünlü denied all charges and the coerced statements, but his detention continued, ultimately resulting in a life sentence.

Conclusion

In November 2019, the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation upheld the decision of the Elazığ 2nd Heavy Penal Court regarding the coup trial. Among the accused, Brigadier General Abdülkerim Ünlü was the only individual convicted of "violating the constitution" (Article 309 of the Turkish Penal Code) on July 15, 2016. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, 39 other defendants were sentenced to 6 to 10 years in prison for "membership in a terrorist organization."

Following the events of that night, Jandarma Regional Commander Major General Ali Çardakçı was promoted to lieutenant general in 2017 and to general in 2021. He currently serves as Deputy Commander of the Jandarma General Command. The 8th Army Corps Commander Yılmaz Uyar was retired by the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) in 2017. The Brigade’s Administrative Officer Selim Alkan was briefly appointed as "acting brigade commander" after the coup attempt but was retired by YAŞ in 2019.

Notes

The role of 8th Army Corps Commander Lieutenant General Yılmaz Uyar on the night of July 15 remains unclear. Uyar was contacted twice (at 10:50 PM and 11:17 PM) by MİT operative Sadık Üstün. According to the registry, Üstün informed Uyar that Akın Öztürk was the leader of the coup and provided suggestions for countermeasures. During this time, Öztürk was reportedly "resting in his pajamas at the residence, unaware of the coup," according to his statements.

Uyar was also one of the individuals the Parliamentary Coup Investigation Commission wanted to hear from when it began work on October 7, 2016. However, like Hulusi Akar, Hakan Fidan, and Sadık Üstün, Uyar remained untouchable. The Commission’s Chairman Reşat Petek dismissed requests to summon him for questioning.

On the night of July 15, in addition to the comrades-in-arms (!) who set a trap for Ünlü and dozens of military personnel, it is also worth mentioning the judicial personnel who caused them to be unjustly detained for years and sentenced to heavy penalties. Here are the names of those who signed the unlawful acts at the Elazığ courthouse during the coup trials: Elazığ Chief Public Prosecutor Habib Korkmaz (40048) and 2nd High Criminal Court President Suat ALACA (40914), who prepared the indictment; Prosecutor Akın ÇETİN (150011), Judge Cem ALTUNSOY (174475), Prosecutor Hasan KARAMAN (123185), Judge Sadık ÇİMEN (165565), Judge Özcan İNAN (196010), Prosecutor Erdal KARAKAŞ (192184), Prosecutor Abdullah Fatih BİLDİK (153119), Judge Şahabettin ÖZTÜRK (150935), Judge Abdullah BOYRAZ (189665), Judge Emrah YILDIRIM. (139914), Judge Emre KÜÇÜKBAŞOL (149922), Prosecutor ERCAN AKIN (195703), Judge Adem CAN (120725).

Faruk Yılmaz