"I learned that I was the valedictorian at the information conference for the ceremony rehearsals held on Monday, August 12, 2024. After 2-3 days, I received the text that I was going to read during the ceremony. When I first read the text, I saw that there was no officer oath in the program. The rehearsals held for the first few days were performed by reciting the military oath. Then, upon the request of my classmates and my own thoughts, I forwarded the proposal to recite the officer oath during the ceremony to my superiors without breaking the chain. In response to my proposal, my superiors informed me that 'the Military Academy graduation ceremony regulations have changed, and an article stating that the military oath is recited by the valedictorian has been added to the ceremony regulations, therefore we will not be able to recite the officer oath during the official ceremony.'
When I submitted my proposal, I only submitted it for the official ceremony. There is no verbal or written order regarding the official ceremony after the official ceremony. In fact, this issue was not brought up in the slightest. On August 20, 2024, while the ceremony rehearsal was being performed by our Battalion Commander, the ceremony was broadcasted in front of the entire battalion. We were informed that the regulations had changed and that we would not be able to recite the oath during the ceremony for this reason. We complied with this order and did not act against this order in any way during the ceremony, we did not even attempt to do so.
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"Afterwards, with the pride and excitement of that moment, I came out and started to recite the officer's oath. This was definitely not a planned activity. I had in mind to recite the officer's oath, but I had no plan or thought about the place and time. It could have even been in the battalion garden.
When I saw that my friends had already gathered and thought that we would not be able to gather like this again, I wanted to recite the oath and I recited it. My friends accompanied me.
We entered the Military Academy on September 27, 2019, by reciting the military oath at the Menteş Ceremonial Ground. While graduating from the school where Atatürk also graduated, I acted by thinking that it was my responsibility as the top student of the class to recite the officer's oath for the last time in unity during the traditional sword clash. I definitely have no intention of indiscipline. When my Military Academy phase is examined, I think I am a soldier worthy of the Military Academy. In this action, I definitely do not and cannot intend to open the Turkish Armed Forces, to which I am deeply attached, to a debate, to damage its reputation, or to adopt a divisive attitude.