On July 15, did Lt. Gen. Metin Gürak lure his own troops into a trap?

The facts that emerged from the trials conducted within the scope of the so-called July 15 Coup Attempt reveal that the official narrative on July 15th created by the current government and its partners is nothing but a lie. 

One of the facts that has come to light concerns the assignment of then-Ankara Garrison Commander Lieutenant General Metin Gürak by then-Chief of General Staff General Hulusi  Akar. Metin Gürak, who was also the Commander of the 4th Corps, began inspecting the Armored Units School and Training Division Command around 7:00 PM on July 15th, under the orders of Hulusi Akar. According to the testimony of Colonel Erdal Yetim (1), who was assigned to the Armored Units School, it is understood that Lieutenant General Metin Gürak arrived at the barracks, was welcomed by Division Commander Erdoğan Akyol, was asked by Metin Gürak how many tanks were in the division, and had the division watch committee  check whether the tanks were in place, whether the keys were in a safe place, and whether the entrance hatches were closed. 

The Armored Units School and Training Division Command is a unit under the Land Forces Training and Doctrine Command. In other words, it is not a unit under Lieutenant General Metin Gürak. The assignment of Metin Gürak to convey the Chief of General Staff’s order to a unit that was not under his command is against military customs and is extremely striking. 

Metin Gürak, who conveyed the order of the Chief of General Staff to the Armored Units School, which was not under his command, did not give any orders to the military units under his command.  

Another remarkable point that emerges in the court testimony (2) of Brig. Murat Aygün, the commander of the 58th Artillery Brigade on 15 July is that Metin Gürak did not give any orders to his troops; 

"...The Chief of General Staff ordered Lieutenant General Metin Gürak, the commander of the 4th Corps, who was the commander of my brigade, go to the Armored Units Training  Division Command, which is unrelated to him, at 18:00 that evening, to inform the Armored Units Training Division Commander that no tanks or armored vehicles were to leave the barracks. Metin Gürak goes to Etimesgut and conveys this order, but the same Metin Gürak forgets or fails to think of issuing orders to his own units, such as the 58th Artillery Brigade in Polatlı, or the 28th Mechanized Brigade in Mamak—at least, I don’t know about the others, but I assume they are in the same situation. Nor does he issue any orders to the Commando Brigades in Kayseri and Bolu. In an environment where there are many generals who do not think of notifying their own units with a short warning and an order, who are still under arrest and on trial only because their names are on the so-called appointment list and because the word "present" was written next to their names, Metin Gürak, who was kept on duty as the TAF Health Commander in the appointment list allegedly prepared by the Peace at Home Council, is Metin Gürak not at all responsible for the exit of his own units? Why didn't he give an order or inform to his own unit commanders, that is, to me, one of them after becoming  aware of the situation at 18:00?" 

Metin Gürak did not meet that night with the commanders of the 58th Artillery and 28th Mechanised Infantry Brigade, who were under his command and allegedly participated in the coup attempt. Why was a simple order, which could have prevented these units in question from leaving their bases on that night, not issued? 

Metin Gürak Carried Real Bullets in KOKTOD Exercises 

In the case regarding the actions at the 4th Corps and 28th Mechanised Infantry Brigade Command (3), Staff Colonel Deniz Ay stated in his testimony that they had been conducting exercises on "Support of Forces in Public Events" continuously for the past three to four months, under the order of Metin Gürak. 

‘...As a colonel, I was made to remain on passive duty. I served in the Support of Law Enforcement Forces in Public Events (KOKTOD) (4) team. Drills were conducted accordingly. However, excessive importance was placed on this in the last 3-4 months. Metin Gürak started to supervise the drills. Normally we do not take real ammunition in the exercises, but in the last exercises we carried real ammunition.’ 

Before 15 July, considering Metin Gürak's orders within the scope of KOKTOD and When it  is considered that the 58th Artillery Brigade Command left its barracks to support the law enforcement forces within the scope of KOKTOD with the announcement of a terrorist attack and the declaration of martial law, 4 Corps and Ankara Garrison Commander Lieutenant Commander Metin Durak appears to have lured the commanders of the units under his command into a trap by not giving orders.

Umut Güçlüer 

References 

(1) Armored Units School and Training Division, Training Support Exercise Battalion Commander, the Indictment of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office of Ankara, Investigation No: 2016/176527, File No: 2017/13327, Indictment No: 2017/2345, [ Armored Units ] indictment § 617. 

(2) The defense statement transcript made by Brigadier General Murat Aygün, the then Commander of the 58th Artillery Brigade, on 27.03.2017, within the case file numbered 2017/1 of the Ankara 13th High Criminal Court. 

(3) The case regarding the actions at the 4th Corps and the 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Command, conducted by the Ankara 20th High Criminal Court. 

(4) In the event of a social incident or terrorist act, including in city centers, the units of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) shall support Law Enforcement Forces (Police and Gendarmerie Forces) in public events.