A valedictorian of the Turkish Military Academy faces possible expulsion from the Turkish Armed Forces for chanting a secularist slogan at her graduation ceremony, an act that prompted disciplinary action, the TELE1 news website reported on Saturday.
Turkish Military Academy valedictorian Ebru Eroğlu, who now serves as a lieutenant in the Turkish Armed Forces, has been notified of her potential expulsion after leading a chant of “We are Mustafa Kemal’s soldiers” during the academy’s August 30 graduation ceremony, where she received her diploma from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the founder of modern Turkey and is a symbol of secularism.
Eroğlu’s notification follows similar disciplinary action taken against another graduate, Lieutenant İ., as part of an investigation of the incident, which sparked controversy nationwide. Both are accused of violating Article 20, Section C of the Turkish Armed Forces Disciplinary Code, which prohibits actions deemed “harmful to the reputation of the state and military.”
The chant was accompanied by cadets raising their swords and taking an oath to defend the country’s secular and democratic principles. Videos of the ceremony went viral, triggering both public and political debate.
Erdoğan criticized the graduates’ actions, calling it disruptive and promising disciplinary consequences.
“The military is not a place for politically motivated acts,” Erdoğan said, reiterating his commitment to punishing those responsible.
The ministry of defense confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler indicating a decision would be made by the High Disciplinary Board by November 25.
The government reaction to the cadets’ slogans has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, with the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) defending the cadets.
CHP leader Özgür Özel described the chant as a traditional military gesture, accusing Erdoğan of politicizing the issue to divert attention from other challenges the country currently faces.
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also condemned the reaction, calling the slogan a unifying symbol and criticizing Erdoğan’s intolerance toward it.
The incident at the graduation ceremony reflects the deep divisions within Turkey over its identity and future direction. President Erdoğan, who has positioned himself as a defender of conservative and religious values, has often clashed with secularists who see him as a threat to the principles established by Atatürk.
Some members of the public have praised the cadets for honoring Turkey’s founding principles, while others criticized the act as inappropriate for members of the military, sparking a heated political debate.
Erdoğan, who has held power since 2003, survived a failed coup in 2016 and has since dramatically reduced the influence of the military in Turkish politics. Pro-government figures argue that the secularist chant could signal a return to earlier eras of a pro-military sentiment that have destabilized Turkey in the past.
However, opposition figures insist that the chant is a patriotic act and should not be viewed as a political statement.