Turkish prosecutor suspended after supporting newly graduated lieutenants targeted by Erdoğan

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Turkey’s Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has suspended Antalya Public Prosecutor Mehmet Çağlayan for supporting newly graduated lieutenants targeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The lieutenants on Aug. 30 drew their swords and chanted “We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk)” during their oath ceremony. Atatürk is the founder of the Turkish Republic.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized them after the incident, and said, “Exploiters, to whom are you drawing these swords? It is impossible for them to exist in our army. We are taking steps to (dismiss) them quickly.”

Accordingly, Çağlayan posted a support message in favor of the lieutenants on social media.

“All soldiers are soldiers of Atatürk! Our lieutenants who shouted this at the oath ceremony did not violate the law nor were they indisciplined. Even a warning penalty is not acceptable. If there are members of the board who were pressured to give a punishment, they should share this and resign,” Çağlayan said.

The HSK on Nov. 19 first appointed Çağlayan to a lower-degree region. Two days later, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, who is also the HSK President, demanded an investigation be opened against Çağlayan. On the same day, Tunç approved the investigation in his capacity as the HSK President. 

The board said that Çağlayan “acted in a manner unbecoming of the public prosecutor's profession” and eventually suspended him.

The lieutenants are facing disciplinary action for acting with a “lack of discipline,” which could lead to their dismissals.

The incident is seen as another conflict between secularism and Islamism in Turkey.