The provision of "he, his mother, father, siblings and guardian's attitudes and behaviors and the fact that he did not adopt illegal, political, destructive, reactionary, separatist ideological views, did not engage in such activities or were involved in such activities" [[i]][[ii]] in the regulations regulating the entry requirements for the War Academies, which entered into force in 2001 and trains officers and non-commissioned officers for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), and the NCO Vocational Colleges, which entered into force in 2003, were abolished.

Instead, it is stipulated that “not to be a member, affiliate or contact with terrorist organizations or structures, formations or groups determined by the National Security Council to act against the national security of the State”[[iii]][[iv]] for admission to war academies and NCO Vocational Colleges.

As you know, upon the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, NATO changed the Concept and targeted Islam and Islamic values with the green belt theory.

As a result, the TAF focused on the word REACTIONARISM and used it as a reason for the dismissal of 1637 Officers and NCOs who fulfilled their religious duties as per their beliefs, especially during the 28 February period. In the process of February 28, 1997, around 10,000 officers and NCOs had to leave the Armed Forces with the concern of dismissal. Pious and religious people were dismissed from the TAF with the alliance formed on the idea that officers and NCOs, who could not be defined, but who live in the Islamic belief, who are seen to perform prayers, and who have a wife wearing headscarf and mother as per their belief as ADOPTING THE INTUITIVE OPINIONS.  

Giving the members of the Turkish Armed Forces the name "Mehmetçik" in the meaning of the profession of prophet reveals how effective and important our belief values are in this profession. The reference points of our Mehmetçik, whom we sent to martyrdom with the battle-cry of "Allah Allah", have undoubtedly been the values of faith and the sacred hearth.

Can people who do not believe in martyrdom, who do not think afterlife, who do not believe that they will earn eternal life and heaven in return for the life they will sacrifice for their homeland, the material and moral values of their state, religion and nation, can risk their lives to do their duty in warfare?

What can be promised to people who do not have an Islamic sensitivity, who do not know the decrees of martyrdom, and who do not have the consciousness of belief in the hereafter, to be willingly sacrificing their lives?

In order to have the spiritual power it needs in order to fulfill its duty in the extraordinary conditions of war, the soldiers of the countries, regardless of their different religion, must be RELIGIOUS.[[v]]

Today, there are religious establishment and religious affairs officers in the majority of the armies of the world countries, especially the armed forces of the USA and developed European countries.

Strategic / Operative or tactical-level commands have to make a comparison between their own forces and the strength of their enemy in order to determine the type of combat they will use in war. The commanders reach a decision by including the morale power of the parties in their reasoning, after revealing their relative status in terms of the number of soldiers, organization, main combat vehicles and weapons and similar numerical and efficiency in terms of material.

In order for a commander to reach the attack decision, he must be at least one-fold superior to his enemy.

The Muslim Turkish armies could not outnumber their enemy numerically in any of the battles they won. Their spiritual values and their Islamic beliefs led them to relative superiority and victory over their enemy.

The Battle of Manzikert in 1071, which paved the door to Anatolia for the Turks, the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, which was considered the beginning of the New Age, the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I, which ensured that Istanbul remained in our hands today, the War of Independence, which led to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey over the Ottoman Empire, are the victories over armies several times larger than ours.

However, unfortunately, especially after the 28th of February period, the way of living the Islamic belief was considered as reactionary activity and considered as an obstacle to being a modern and contemporary country. Mothers with headscarf were not allowed into the barracks where they came to visit their soldier son; wives of officers and NCOs with headscarves were made unable to leave their homes; could not go into officer's clubs, military messes and barracks; Officers and NCOs who strive to live according to their faith were made hesitant to use their right to enter military lodgings and were despised; their registries were corrupted, they were prevented from taking courses that they had rights for their professional development, they were prevented from studying in a war academy, and officers and NCOs were dismissed from the Armed Forces.  In 2007, our Prime Minister's wife First Lady Emine Erdoğan was prevented from visiting patients at Gülhane Military Medical Academy Hospital because she was wearing a headscarf.

As claimed, the fact that this change will provide an opportunity for some part of people to take over the TAF is completely unrealistic. If this regulation article associated with reactionarism as claimed would have prevented similar situations and people would not have experienced the coup attempt on July 15. On the contrary, this description has allowed the FETO terrorist organization to hide and structure within the TAF. [[vi]]

With the implementation of this regulation, the people who are committed to their national and spiritual values in TSK, who work for their country and nation and who strive to live the Islamic faith that will gladly die for this cause if necessary, will not be seen as a threat, but religious groups and organizations such as FETO will be prevented from staffing in our armed forces.

We appreciate the amendment and hope it will be beneficial to our country and nation.

March 29, 2021

ASSAM Board of Directors

 [[i]] https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2001/09/20010927.htm#4

[[ii]] https://kms.kaysis.gov.tr/Home/Goster/35478?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

[[iii]] https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/03/20210323-3.htm

[[iv]] https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/03/20210323-2.htm

[[v]] https://asder.org.tr/yazarlarimizin-makaleleri/6004-ordular-dindar-olmalidir

[[vi]] https://www.adnantanriverdi.com/index.php/siyaset-konulari/ic-siyaset/355-darbelerin-dayanagi-20-nisan-2004.html