The Government Took Another Life: Brigadier General Mehmet Şükrü EKEN

Brigadier General Mehmet Şükrü EKEN, who had been treated for coronavirus, lost his life.

Former Samsun Garrison Commander, Brigadier General Mehmet Şükrü EKEN (56) died in the hospital where he was being treated for coronavirus. Brigadier General EKEN caught coronavirus in Bafra Prison and was taken to Bafra State Hospital on March 24. Eken, who had been receiving coronavirus treatment in the intensive care unit of the hospital, died on April 19, 2021.

This death has become a painful proof that the measures and hygiene were not adequately provided in preventing the spread of coronavirus in prisons, the process was not managed well, and this attitude towards people who were exempted from vaccination opportunities caused a deadly consequence.

He was a commander that protected his subordinates and prevented them to be oppressed by his superiors.

Brigadier General EKEN was a Commander who protected his subordinates and was respected and loved for this characteristic. According to the testimony of his subordinates, during an inspection by the Land Forces Commander at the time, Full General Erdal CEYLANOĞLU, in the adaptation training of cadet candidates in Menteş, he had protected the company and platoon leaders against Ceylanoğlu’s anger and had put his own career at risk to provide an environment for his subordinates to work in peace.

He made a significant contribution in abolishing the mixed battalion system at Turkish Military Academy.

Brigadier General EKEN was also one of the Commanders who contributed most to the abolition of the "Mixed Battalion" training system, which was introduced in 1996 and had been frequently discussed in the Turkish Land Forces. The Mixed Battalion training system was a training method that enabled military students of all classes to be together in food, training and many periods of time. During the time of Yaşar BÜYÜKANIT, who was the Turkish Military Academy Commander at the time, it was put into practice from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) without much thought about whether it is suitable for our culture and our understanding of established discipline.

Until 2010, despite the many complaints and criticisms coming from the military field units, nobody could present the situation to Işık KOŞANER, who was the Land Forces Commander at the time. Military Academy Commander at the time, Major General Kenan HÜSNÜOĞLU, refrained from carrying the matter to higher authorities by saying that “Işık KOŞANER Pasha worked as the Military Academy Commander for four years and did not abolish this system in his own term. How do I tell him that he did wrong and that this system doesn’t work for us?” However, Student Regiment Commander Colonel Mehmet Şükrü EKEN took responsibility and boldly and openly expressed to his superiors the necessity of the abolition of this system in all presentations and visits and inspections of the senior commanders to the Military Academy. As a matter of fact, the practice of the "Mixed Battalion" system was terminated in 2011 as a result of these efforts.

There is no evidence at all in his file regarding the coup accusations.

After his death, the allegations that he was a putschist were revived by the government mud media, which knows no boundaries in slander. Looking at the file of the deceased, it is understood that there is not a single evidence of the coup attempt.

The first reason behind the coup allegations toward him is that his name is on the martial law assignment list. The assignment list in question is an electronic document that is still unknown by whom it was sent, does not have a wet signature, and it is understood that it has serious similarities with the profiling list prepared by the Ministry of National Defense. Moreover, there are those who are on this list and continue their duty or are acquitted despite being tried.

Senior Colonel Murat ÖZER, former Coast Guard Black Sea Region Commander, stated in his court testimony that he did not meet with Brigadier General EKEN on the day of the incident and that he did not receive any orders or instructions from him within the scope of the coup attempt. Despite this, the court did not take into account the testimony in favor of him. In addition, Brigadier General EKEN did not fulfill the order indicating that he was the commander of martial law, he only ensured the safety of his troops and did not take soldiers or weapons out of the unit.

As can be seen, the claims regarding the deceased's putschism does not go beyond slander. If we look at the values and characters represented by those who speak to the detriment of him; it can be said that those that were spoken only witnessed the humanity, honesty and patriotism of our late Commander.

He was being recognized by his warm relations with the public and local administrators.

Brigadier General EKEN was also known for representing the warm face of the state, especially by establishing warm relations with the public and local administrators during his tenure in the Southeast. During the Samsun Garrison Command, the letters he wrote to the mothers of the martyrs in Samsun on the occasion of the Mother's Day became a beacon of hope for a Turkish Armed Forces that was longed for and was under the command of the nation. In the current situation, our nation seems that it will miss commanders like him a lot and wait a long time.

Rest in peace my Commander ...