As Turkey commemorates the eighth anniversary of the coup attempt of 15 July 2016, debates surrounding the nature of the coup and the involvement of various actors continue to spark controversy. On opposition channel Halk TV, journalist Yavuz Oğhan hosted Mehmet Eymür, the former head of the Counterterrorism Department of the National Intelligence Agency (MİT). Eymür made several revelations, asserting that MİT failed to protect its secrets, and discussing the role of Adil Öksüz, a major player in the attempted coup.
Eymür validated the authenticity of engagement forms relating to Adil Öksüz, a figure accused of being a senior operative within the Gülen movement and implicated in the coup attempt. These forms, according to Eymür, substantiate claims that Öksüz, formerly known as a Gülenist but later revealed to have ties with MİT, was strategically placed in coup-related photos to lend credibility to the narrative around the coup and shift blame onto a specific faction. This assertion supports the theory that the coup might have been a false flag operation designed to benefit the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and its allies.
The debate over the 15 July coup remains polarised. The Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, maintains that the Gülen movement orchestrated the coup, citing confessions and intercepted communications as evidence. However, critics argue that the extensive purges following the coup, targeting tens of thousands of public sector employees, suggest prior knowledge and possible orchestration by the government itself.
Adil Öksüz’s mysterious release after having been captured near Akıncı Air Base, a key site in the attempted coup, further fuelled these suspicions. Öksüz’s subsequent disappearance has led to speculation about whether elements within the government facilitated his escape to conceal their own involvement.
Eymür’s revelations did not stop there. He also connected the assassination of three Kurdish women, including Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) founder Sakine Cansız, in Paris on 9 January 2013, to MİT. At the time, the Kurdish movement blamed MİT for the killings, but the peace process led them to tread carefully. The sole suspect, Ömer Güney, died in prison a month before his trial, leaving the case shrouded in mystery. Eymür’s claims reignite these suspicions, suggesting MİT’s involvement in the assassinations.
During the interview, Eymür noted that the exposure of MİT operations, such as the transportation of arms (the MİT trucks incident), was not orchestrated by the Gülenists alone. He highlighted the extent to which MİT’s operations were compromised, revealing internal manipulations, and the broader implications for Turkey’s intelligence community.
“Three women were killed in Paris, it made the newspapers. After that, the forms related to Adil Öksüz surfaced – the engagement forms. When a secret organisation like MİT is so exposed… MİT trucks came to light, you know. Whoever took them needs to be questioned…,” he said.
The debate over the true nature of the 2016 attempted coup continues to be a source of intense scrutiny and political division in Turkey. As new revelations and allegations emerge, the lines between fact and fiction remain blurred, leaving the event’s legacy a contested and deeply impactful chapter in Turkish history.
