Retired Admiral Calls for Probe into Doctor's TSK Allegations

Retired Rear Admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu has urged an immediate and impartial investigation into serious allegations made by a doctor reportedly dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The doctor, Efran Tumaris Usul, who served in Kars Sarıkamış, claims to have witnessed and reported numerous issues within the military.

“

These allegations must be investigated without delay, impartially, and comprehensively. If they are true, the necessary administrative and legal actions should be taken; if they are not true, the public should be officially informed. Prolonging the uncertainty harms both the personnel and the institutional reputation of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Bağcıoğlu emphasized that these claims, circulating widely in public discourse, require thorough examination. "These allegations must be investigated without delay, impartially, and comprehensively," he stated. He added that if the claims are true, appropriate administrative and legal actions should follow. Conversely, if they are unfounded, the public should be officially informed to dispel uncertainty, which he noted is harming both personnel and the TSK's institutional reputation.

“

I filed numerous reports and petitions within the institution, tried to reach every level, applied to CİMER, and filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office.

The doctor's alleged reasons for dismissal stem from reports of expired medications being administered, soldiers drinking from taps due to a lack of potable water, and poor hygiene leading to increased scabies outbreaks. Usul also claimed soldiers were denied basic necessities like bathing for extended periods and that medical supplies, including oxygen tanks, were often empty. Furthermore, she alleged that essential vaccinations were delayed and that medical decisions were sometimes overridden or dismissed.

“

Expired medications were being given to conscripts. Even when new medication was purchased, it wasn't given to the conscripts. When infection cases increased, they were saying they were drinking tap water, that drinking water was not provided, and that water was not even sold at the canteen.

Usul, who identified herself as the daughter of a military officer, recounted instances where she felt mistreated, including being asked to have soldiers carry her food. She stated she had filed numerous reports and complaints through official channels, including CİMER and the public prosecutor's office, but felt her concerns were not adequately addressed. The situation has raised significant questions about the conditions and treatment of soldiers within the TSK.

“

I learned that conscripts had not been bathed for 15-16 days due to scabies outbreaks. A conscript who did not have scabies was quarantined in a room for 17-18 days, and the soldier's psychology was broken.