Former Lt. Gen. Erdal Öztürk, a defendant in trials related to Turkey’s July 15, 2016 coup attempt, told an İstanbul court that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the chief of General Staff personally urged him to remain in the military before the failed putsch, a claim that adds another contradiction to the prosecution’s portrayal of senior officers accused in the case.
“I wanted to retire when I was a major general,” Öztürk told the court. “The president called me, asked me to continue my duty and requested it. I said, ‘Your request is an order for me,’ and I continued my duty. If our president and our current chief of General Staff had not insisted and told me to stay, I would have retired as a major general.”
The statement came in a trial that also drew attention for the presiding judge’s politically charged opening remarks and for a government minister’s announcement that the state had arranged transportation for families to attend the hearings.
Judge opens hearing with remarks echoing government’s account
Presiding Judge Cem Karaca opened the hearing with a speech that closely reflected Ankara’s official framing of the coup attempt.
“The events of the 2016 coup attempt were not a simple matter; it was clearly an invasion attempt by foreign powers,” Karaca said. “This attempt was repelled by the heroic members of the Turkish Armed Forces and the police who did not stain their uniforms, especially those who lost their lives and the veterans. If we are able to hold trials here today, it is thanks to the brave individuals who shielded their bodies against tank tracks when necessary. We respectfully remember the souls of those killed during the coup attempt, and we understand you.”
Ankara says the coup attempt was organized by military officers affiliated with the Gülen movement, a transnational civic initiative inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The movement denies involvement.
Minister says government arranged shuttles for families
Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, then minister of family and social policies, also attended the hearing. During a recess, she said the government had arranged shuttle services because of the distance to the Silivri prison complex.
“Because the Silivri prison complex is far away, we have arranged shuttle services so that families can follow the hearings, and we are meeting all their needs,” Kaya said.
Öztürk questioned over claims soldiers were misled
The court completed the cross-examination of Öztürk, who answered questions from the judge, the prosecutor and lawyers.
Judge Karaca asked about defense claims that some soldiers were told they were responding to a terrorist attack, and whether soldiers could leave their barracks under counterterrorism protocols.
Öztürk said any military deployment outside barracks would require a decision by the provincial governor.
“Before the 2016 coup attempt, we were receiving intelligence that ISIS and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) would carry out attacks,” Öztürk said. “Increasing security inside and outside the barracks requires police cooperation. However, leaving the barracks depends entirely on the provincial governor’s decision. Otherwise, leaving the barracks is out of the question. Even if there were such a request, the police would deploy first, then the gendarmerie, and the military would be the last to deploy.”
‘They used not only my name but also the chief of General Staff’s name’
Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Fatih Karakuş asked Öztürk about an alleged martial law assignment list that prosecutors said would have made him martial law commander and commander of the 1st Army if the coup attempt had succeeded.
“Do you think this situation is normal and reasonable?” Karakuş asked.
Öztürk denied prior knowledge of the list and said others had used his name to persuade soldiers to join.
“If these rumors were true, I would have known beforehand,” he said. “However, no one called me. While I was on leave, they held meetings and exploited my name. They tried to secure participation by claiming that not only I but also the chief of General Staff was involved in this.”
Öztürk says intelligence agency helped him reach the press
Lawyer Yasin Şamlı asked Öztürk why he appeared on television much later if he had learned about the coup attempt at 10:25 p.m.
Öztürk said he first learned of unusual activity in İstanbul from a relative and then tried to contact other commanders.
“I learned there was activity in İstanbul when a relative called me,” Öztürk said. “Three minutes later, I called the major general who was my deputy, but he did not answer. I called the other major general. Then a former minister who is a member of parliament for the ruling Justice and Development Party called and asked me what was happening. I told him I was trying to figure it out. I constantly called the gendarmerie commander.”
Öztürk said he then contacted the National Intelligence Organization for help in making a public statement.
“Under normal circumstances, I do not have the opportunity to make a press statement,” he said. “I spoke with the National Intelligence Organization. I requested their help. They helped the press contact us. In that regard, I thank them.”
‘Can we not be innocent?’
Öztürk reacted sharply to questions from some lawyers, accusing them of trying to force a presumption of guilt.
“You are persistently trying to create a culprit here,” he said. “Can we not be innocent? There is not a single piece of evidence; you are asking imaginary questions.”
He then said he was revealing for the first time that Erdoğan and the chief of General Staff had personally intervened to keep him in the military before the coup attempt.
The claim places Öztürk’s pre-coup relationship with Turkey’s top leadership at odds with the prosecution’s depiction of him as an officer positioned for a senior role in a post-coup military administration. It also adds to broader questions about how senior commanders accused in the trials interacted with political and military leaders before July 15.
