Order to remain in barracks would have outed coup bid: Turkish commander

The failed July 2016 coup would have been revealed immediately if personnel had been ordered to stay in their military barracks on that day, Special Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı has said in his testimony as a witness into the killing of anti-coup soldier Ömer Halisdemir, who has been idolized for his actions during a raid on the Special Forces Command in Ankara.

"In the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), an order saying 'Personnel shouldn't leave their military barracks' is given in crises and extraordinary situations as soon as the situation is heard of. The unit commanders continue their work in the barracks. This simple and basic rule that is always applied wasn't applied on July 15, 2016, when the attempt was first heard of. If it had been applied, then the coup attempt would have come to light at the beginning," Aksakallı said March 17 when asked which measures could have been adopted at the Special Forces Command after information regarding the coup was shared. 

On March 20, the Ankara 14th Court of Serious Crimes continued with the trials of 18 suspects in the case regarding the murder of non-commissioned officer Halisdemir, who shot pro-coup general Semih Terzi after the latter arrived at the command to capture it as part of the coup on July 15, 2016. Halisdemir was subsequently killed by putschists.

According to his testimony, Aksakallı arrived at the General Staff Headquarters on July 15, 2016, in order to participate in a meeting on the fight against terror. Noting that Terzi did not participate in the meeting citing his father's health condition, Aksakallı said a note was delivered to Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler at around 4 p.m., after which he left the meeting.

A note was then delivered to...