The 10th hearing of the trial over events at Akıncı Air Base during Turkey’s July 15, 2016 coup attempt continued with the cross-examination of Maj. Gen. Mehmet Dişli, a former senior officer at the General Staff, with defense lawyers focusing on the role of then-chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar.
Akıncı Air Base, near Ankara, was presented by prosecutors as one of the central locations in the coup attempt, making testimony about who gave orders there and how senior commanders acted a key part of the case.
Dişli, who was head of the General Staff Strategic Transformation Department at the time, was questioned by defense lawyers about Akar’s movements, statements and decisions on the night of the coup attempt.
Responding to a question from defense attorney İbrahim Arıkan, Dişli said Akar first heard the phrase “There is a coup” from him.
The questioning then turned to former Air Force commander Gen. Akın Öztürk, whom prosecutors accused of being among the leading figures in the coup attempt.
Arıkan asked whether it was a contradiction that Öztürk, described in the indictment as a leader of the coup, had been summoned to Akıncı by Akar, who the official account portrayed as being held captive at the base.
Dişli replied that this was not the only contradiction in the file.
“That is not the only contradiction; there are many contradictions,” Dişli said.
He confirmed that Akar gave the order in his presence to summon Öztürk.
“Yes, Hulusi Akar issued an order in my presence and summoned Akın Öztürk; this is, of course, a contradiction,” Dişli said.
Dişli added that Öztürk remained at Akıncı “as part of the planning” and said that, if other developments had not occurred, Öztürk was expected to go to the Çankaya Presidential Palace.
“I believe the best answer to this can be found by asking the commander himself,” Dişli said, referring to Akar.
The exchange was significant because it touched on one of the most disputed points in the Akıncı case: whether Öztürk was directing events at the base or had gone there after being called by Akar.
Defense lawyers in several July 15 trials have argued that the courts failed to adequately examine Akar’s decisions, the chain of command and the actions of senior officers who were later treated as victims or witnesses rather than defendants.
Dişli’s testimony added to those questions by placing Akar at the center of a decision to summon Öztürk, even though Öztürk was later cast by prosecutors as one of the main figures responsible for the coup attempt.
Akar, who later served as defense minister, has repeatedly been one of the most politically sensitive names in July 15 proceedings because he was chief of General Staff during the events and because many defendants sought to question him directly.
The Akıncı trial became one of the largest and most consequential coup-attempt cases, involving allegations about military flights, command decisions, communications at the base and the actions of senior officers.
