Turkish gendarmerie commander offers giving medals to commanders who clashed with coup plotters

ANKARA

AA photo

Turkish Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Yaşar Güler has offered giving medals to commanders who clashed with the plotters of the July 15, 2016, coup attempt on the night of the thwarted coup. 

Güler requested the “Outstanding Courage and Waiver Medal” should be given to six commanders who played key roles in quelling the coup attempt, daily Habertürk reported on July 20. 

According to the daily, the medal is given to those who “fulfill the orders given to them by putting their lives in danger and displaying outstanding courage and waiver in times of peace and war.”

Three of the commanders were the victims of the “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) coup plot case, which is widely believed to have been a conspiracy plotted by the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the alleged orchestrators of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt.

The proposal to grant medals was submitted to Turkish General Staff three months after the failed coup, but was returned with a statement saying, “The gendarmerie is not linked to us anymore.”

Güler then repeated the demand in October 2016 and submitted it to the Interior Ministry. Habertürk said the offer was being examined by the ministry.

Gen. Arif Çetin, Gen. Ahmet Hacıoğlu, Gen. Nurettin Alkan, Gen. Ali Demir, Col. Güven Şaban and Col. Aziz Yılmaz will be given medals if Güler’s offer is accepted. 

Hacıoğlu, Alkan and Demir were the victims of the Balyoz case. 

The head of the gendarmerie operations at the time, Çetin secured the safety of many public institutions by directing operations from a mosque, a construction site and a civilian’s house on July 15, 2016. 

Hacıoğlu clashed with the coup soldiers at the Gendarmerie General Command until the morning of July 16. 

Then a colonel, Alkan was shot by a bullet from a captain’s weapon while he was trying to prevent coup soldier Süleyman Karaca from seizing control. Hacıoğlu then made a move to get the weapon, but was taken captive by the coup plotters.