Sedef Demirhan, the wife of the Commander of the Mediterranean Region and Garrison Rear Admiral Nejat Atilla Demirhan, who was sentenced to life imprisonment, gave an exclusive interview to BOLD. Sedef Demirhan, who was with her husband until that day at 23.00 pm, spoke about her testimony and the discussions she had with the court.
SEVİNÇ ÖZARSLAN
BOLD- Nejat Atilla Demirhan, the commander of the Mediterranean Region and Garrison was sentenced to life imprisonment a year ago in the Mersin joint case of the July 15th failed coup attempt.
Demirhan had stated that even though he did not remove any military unit from his army that night and that there had been no incident in Mersin a plot was established against him which claims him allegedly attempting a coup attempt.
In his letter published by BOLD yesterday, he stated that he did not have a fair trial process, that the witnesses he called did not come to the court and that he could not prove his claim because he did not consider the demands of the judge.
Nejat Atilla Demirhan’s wife Sedef Demirhan, who gave an exclusive interview to BOLD, was one of the close witnesses of that day. Sedef Demirhan, who was with her husband on July 15 and at 23.00, believes that a complot has been set up and tells herhusband to return to his unit that day.
Chief of staff Tayfun Ergi is assigned to shoot Demirhan. According to Sedef Demirhan, if this event had taken place, there would be a second case of Semih Terzi.
Ekrem Özer, the retired Central Commander, who arrested Nejat Atilla Demirhan, is a key figure in the night of July 15th in Mersin.
Sedef Demirhan and the brother of a soldier who sentenced to life imprisonment, Cengiz Çelebi (pseudonym) claim that Ekrem Özer was assigned by MIT (hence The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey).
Where were you on July 15?
We were on vacation in Afyon. We were invited to my parents for dinner on Friday night. Myparents and my mother-in-law live in Afyon. We went to visit them. A phone call came to myhusband while preparing for dinner. I heard my husband saying, “Sir, sir, of course, sir” I don’tknow what its content was, but he told me exactly this: “I just need to go to the gendarmerie and have a talk from line of thetafiks”. This is a secret phone line in the military. We were in Bolvadin. My husband went to the gendarmerie command right there. He took an order from Southern Sea Area Command as “there is a terrorist threat, return to the unit immediately.
Who gives the order?
Vice Admiral Hasan Uşaklıoğlu, the commander of Southern Sea Area. He is our commandant, our firs commandant. My husband came back and told me to tidy up stuff and we are going. He said “we have to get out urgently, there is a terrorist threat, we need to get out urgently” no sooner than I ask why, why we have to go. Normally we were going to leave Saturday, we would rest on Sunday, and my husband would start his work on Monday.
Around what time does this conversation happen?
Around 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. The road between Mersin and Afyon takes 5 hours if you go fast. We were on the way. My husband was not comfortable, but we were going comfortably. We had dinner in Konya. My husband would go by flying or something would take him if he made a military coup. We were very relax. My son was in the back of the car and I was beside my husband. We took our stuff and were turning to Mersin. We arrived in Mersin around 11 p.m.
The coup attempt had begun around 10 p.m.
The coup attempt had begun and my son was looking to twitter on his phone. He said ‘One side of the bridge was closed in Istanbul’. We thought that this is kind of drug mafia. We did not know anything. Because there were no any problems on the roads. It did not seem to be any problem. Then later we got news that jets were flying in Ankara. We arrived in Mersin around 11 p.m. my husband dropped me home. He put things up. ‘ I am going to the unit’ he said.
Then we learned such a thingin the court. The regional head of The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT) ‘I do not remember his name exactly but I think it was Ali’ was going to the unit in that night in case there was a movement, something was happennig. They gave my husband a paper that they got an order of State of Siege as soon as my husband went there.
Who gives that order?
Chief of Staff Colonel Tayfun Ergi. Ergi was out for 20 months after the coup. In the 20th mount he was jailed when the charges increased. He holds a meeting with 12 people including gendarmerie regional commander and other soldiers when my husband gets the order. In that time Hasan Basri Dağdelen (previous police commissioner) comes. He asks my husband that if my husband can take him from there.
Why does he want to go? What does he do there?
A non-commissioned officer visited HasanBasriDagdelen’s house at 19:00 that night, as HasanBasri said the officer presented his ID. Dağdelen gave his name to the court but it turned out to be a deception. Apparently, someone with a fake ID had visited him. ’Go to the Union, take precautions, and admirals will be assassinated, ‘they weresaying. HasanBasri was given two phone numbers by thenon-commissioned officer. One belonged to the top of the commander’s, the other was “the number where you can get confirmation from the General Staff” the officer said. When Dağdelen called the General Staff, he wasinformed that,there was such a threat and assassinationswould be carried out.
Then why does he want to leave afterward?
Right after he heard about that martial law was declared, he decided get out of there. A radio expert in the court had stated thatthey received the martial law order at 22.00 and the orders were addressed to all troops. The declaration of martial law was read by the Chief of Staff, Tayfun Ergi. Colonel, Mazhar Süha Soylem, and Colonel, Ayhan Canlı. All the colonels read it. I just wonder why they did not call the governor as soon as they received the martial law declaration and asked what to do about it. Emergency services were already settled. And since my husband was accused to be a coup plotter why he was not taken down soon after we entered the check-in gate. We weren’t in the Tarsus yet, we were at the gates. He could be easily taken down in there.
Why do you think he they did not take any action at that time?
‘We waited for the commander to arrive”, said Tayfun Ergi in the court. Let’s assume that your house is on fire, but you’re saying, let me wait for my husband, then I will call the emergency. This is unbelievable. But it did not happen, everyone gathered at the unit andas soon as my husband entered he was handed the martial law paper. Following, the retired Commander Colonel Ekrem Özer went to the unit and arrest my husband accusing him to be a coup plotter.
How could he do that? Does he have the right to do this?
He was ordered by the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT). The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT) was at the crisis desk that night. The Head of the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT)went to the unit at 23.00. As it was documented in the court record, there were 16 cameras inside the unit. However, they claimed that 15 of them were broken. They only showed one camera record in court which showed my husband walking down the hall so calmly. There was no sign of anger or shouting. While the liar witnesses said he was screaming so much and he was furious. The cameras excessively showed that he was quietly walking fromone place to another. There was not a bit of an anger, or yelling. He has just had an argument with EkremÖzer and my husband opposes and says; you are my subordinate, you are retired, you cannot arrest me.
Are the retired officer allowed to enter the unit whenever they want?
In fact, you can enter the unit with your military ID. One can enter through the main door easily. Retired officers still keep their military ID. Only the entrance of main unit requires a separate card. But there was no record of the entrance that night. We tried to prove the time my husband came to his units, andentrance of the other officers, the major, the captain. But there’s no record of it.
How do you know that Ekrem Özer received orders from the The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT)?
He mentioned it in court. The central commander is in charge at the unit of the region. Responsiblefor crisis management. He has also responsibilities at 112 emergency center, but he had no duties that day. And we’ve learned in court that the Southern Sea Area Commander has ordered theexecution of my husband. Shot him as soon as he’s in, he ordered. He also told this toCaptain Murat who at the time was deputy. And I got in a quarrel with Chief of Staff Tayfun Ergi in court.
Why did you argue?
During the trial, Tayfun Ergi turned to me and said, you must be grateful to me. And I asked, why? In return, he told me that I was going to shoot your husband, and your husband coffin would come out that day if I carried out that order. That is why you must thank me for his life. ‘You were going to shoot, I asked. He said, “I had been ordered, I would shoot.”
Who gives TayfunErgi the order to shoot your husband?
South Sea Site Commander HasanUşaklıoğlu. The very same person who ordered my husband to return to his unit that night. There would be a second incident of Semih Terzi.
The person ordered your husband to return to his union andordered the execution of your husband is the same. Where is Hasan Uşaklıoğlu now?
Yes, the same person. We called Hasan Uşaklıoğlu as court witness. Our lawyer talked with the president of the court. ’We cannot reach HasanUşaklıoğlu, he is most likely abroad’, he was told. He never showed up at the court either. He retired on August 2, 2017 –though he was expecting to be a force commander. He might be abroad right now. His two children are living in the United States.
So, your husband returned to his unit at 23.00. Did you talk to him later that night?
We talked on the phone continuously until the morning of July 16th. Because there were always breaking newsheadlines on the television which stated the commander of the Mediterranean Region was taken into custody. I see this news ceaselessly. I’m calling my husband. My husband says I’m on duty, I’m in charge of my unit, no problem. Tayfun Ergi opened his cell phone at about six thirteen in the morning. I said, what’s the matter? He said, our commander didn’t listen to any of us, he tried to take part in coup attempt, he is being arrested for punishment at the moment.
I was gone mad. How could it happen and why? Tayfun Ergi was our neighbor in the residence. On the morning of July 16th, he spoke to me in such a way that I could not believe. He lied about my husbandby saying; believe me. He did not listen to us in any way. At the time, I thought, ’I think he made a mistake, my husband did. Cause he spoke so convincingly and confidently.
When my children went to the union to collect my husband’s belongings, he helped us in any possible way. Some insult my children, “We will not let take the stuff, do not collect”. Tayfun Ergi says, “do not do this our brother in arms’ children, you cannot behave like that.” He was so caring and helpful to us. That made me think that he is trustworthy.
How did you find out that he is not trustworthy?
Then we learned in court that three or four days after the coup, the captain (former chief branch officer, Ali Gul) have his men write groundless accusations about my husband insistently. Then a second case was opened against him for forgery of two documents. My husband’s aide-de-camp officer was not in the area. Tayfun Ergi called him in on the basis of search for his commander’s room, and handcuffs him in the morning of July 16 at six o’clock. This kid was unaware of anything.
When I learned all these filthy facts, I took it out onTayfunErgi in the first court. What did you do, why you did such things, you’re a liar? I shout. That is how the quarrel started between us. We were going to make a criminal complaint, but we didn’t want to go through a new court. There was an investigation about me back in then and we decided not to dig in.
Why didn’t you pursue, you have serious claims.
That is to say, there was an ongoing investigation against me for taking part in the coup attempt.
On what basis?
I don’t know that either. The charges against me were dismissed. In fact, Mersin sent it to Ankara by giving decision of rejection of venue. Court in Ankara did not find anything and gave verdict of non-prosecution. At that time I was dealing with this investigation. When I went to my children’s court, my investigation was taken into account against them, when I went to my husband’s, same happened there too. I didn’t want to pose a problem.
Can’t you file an action of malicious prosecution?
My husband already mentioned all these in the court. This is the reason why TayfunErgi was arrested. When everyone else who was imprisoned together with my husband complained about TayfunErgi, they arrested him. I was going to file a criminal complaint for my argument. Just because he treated meand he walked at me. I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to deal with another case. TayfunErgi currently has a case for the coup, and a case for fraud. Other Majors and captains in the other cases, have filed a separate criminal complaint against him.
Who filed sue against TayfunErgi for taking part in coup attempt?
In the beginning, he was witnessing without arrest. He was a witness and a defendant. But he was on trial without arrest. Finally, when everyone gave his name, civilians and policemen were involved in complaint.The judge could not take the pressures anymore and ordered him to be arrested.
What do you think about all this? So the Chief of Staff Colonel Tayfun Ergi or someone set up a maneuver against your husband?
Tayfun Ergi and three Colonels: Ayhan Canlı, Mazhar Suha Soylem and Habib Ugurluel. I think Ekrem Ozer is a stooge from the beginning, but they were together. because they prepared everything before. Everything was ready and as sson as my husband gone there at 11.30 p.m. they took him in. I think the governor of that time, Ozdemir Cakacak was in the loop. Ekrem Ozer was on a leave of absence one nad half month before the coup. He woul have an surgery for his nose. After that He had 1,5 month rest. I have seen him visiting the governor in a site of Governorship of Mersin. The one who is on a leave of absence and retired visits the governor. I showed to my husband. He shocked and said: ‘Why did he go there? This man is doing someting.’ Then he said nothing. They planned something there.
The governor hold public demontration in the center of the city with Lutfi Elvan (minister of development of that period) 3 days before the coup. ‘The one that you called a commander- the people love my husband very much, people would die for him- whom I cannot call even a commander. He did this, he did that.’ said the Governor. but noting happened in that night. Nobody was outside except the people (public). The people also gathered in front of the houses. Even nobody know the unit. Because unity is at the back of the harbor.
Where are the other names that you have talked about?
The names were sued but in organized crimes. Because they were talked a lot about them in the court. Habil Uğurluel retired, others have to be on duty. Ekrem Özer was already retired from the beginning. He is the director of a hospital in Mersin as far as I know. three guards are always with him. That is to say he is so scared. He came to court as a complainant. All of our lawyers objected that the one in the case cannot be a complainant, his complainant title droped. He entered as a witness. All of these were talked in the court.
And did you ask your husband if he thought about staging a coup even a moment?
I always asked. This was always talked in military for two years, ‘we do not like this man, the should be dismissed, including Hulusi Akar. But my husband was always saying this: ‘the coup takes the country 10 years back. it cannot be in this way. It cannot get better by taking military to the head’. He was always saying this and he still says.
Did you ask if he has a finger in this?
I asked. I always asked. I asked even from the beginning. At the very beginning, he sent me a 30-page article. It is also written there. It is written that there was always a terrorist threat for him. Even the chief of staff Tayfun Ergi said that there is an encampment besides married quarters. it is a place for vocation. The chief of staff is continuingly trying to incite my husband by saying the police entered there. He wants soldiers to be sent. That is to say the purpose it to send out soldiers. But my husband instantly does not send out the soilders. If he had any participation in the coup he had 1500 people at his command. Who can oppose this?
My husband is now in Sincan Prison. The guards are constantly provoking him to take him to a dangerous detainee category. last week after I leave a discussion happens in clear vision. My husband responds as “God exists, there is law”. Guards manhandle him by saying “how can you say this to us?” They consciously took him in a place where no cameras were. they insulted him, shouted him. Then the next day they got his defense. I explained the situation to our lawyer and he said that they want to make him as desperate criminal.
/ Ending of the interview /
Retired Colonel Ekrem Özer received the order from The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT).
A relative of one soldier, CengizÇelebi (pseudonym) has written about Mersin case and what happened in the Mediterranean Region and the Garrison Command on June 2, 2018.
According to Çelebi, who we made contact through social media, what happened that night was as follows:
There was a colonel named Ekrem Özer in the case. A retired colonel. The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey’s (MIT) Head of State was called EkremOzer on 15 July and ordered him to return to his garrison duty. Even though some news briefing stated that on the night of July 15 Nejat Atilla Demirhan was with the resistant. In reality, we know that NejatAtillaDemirhan wanted to surrender to the police while Ekrem Özer refused to. That’s where the confusion began.
The real purpose was to kill NejatDemirhan and ensanguine Mersin if HasanBasriDagdelen had not gone to the garrison that night. While NejatAtillaDemirhan was on leave, on July 15 he was ordered to come to Mersin.
Quite a conundrum! On 21 July, Tayfun Ergi, Mazhar Süha Söylem and Ayhan Live were sending reports to the Turkish Naval Forces Command. And the report is fake. So they give the names of those who were not there at that time. After that report, those names which were given by these three names were expelled from the army. But as proven later on in the court, there was not a scintilla of truth in that report. After that, they filed a fraud trial against TayfunErgi. Mazhar Süha Söylem, Ayhan Canlı, Tayfun Ergi this trio was the mastermind. Tayfun Ergi was inside, while the other two were out. Ekrem Özer gave them support from outside. Ekrem Özer and these three names acted together. Özer also gave statements to save these 3 names. But, eventually, he gave himself away. Ekrem Özer’s entrance to the unit is forbidden because he was already retired. Later on, Ekrem Özer received a phone call from The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MİT) at 23.17.
Ekrem Özer has posed a question in court; “who was your registrar superior?” Ekrem Özer answered ‘Nejat Atilla Ek’. Ekrem once again gave himself away with this answer. Because, as it is known, due to his current status, as a retired soldier, Nejat Atilla Ek cannot make such an order. The order was taken from the district head of The National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MİT). All these data have been documented on official records. The question is why TayfunErgi is still inside? He apparently made so many mistakes…
After this dialogue, Cengiz Çelebi did not answer our further questions and said; – I will not speak to you no matter how unfair we were treated. We were disconnected and following he deactivated his account.