NEWS CENTER - SADAT, which the CHP Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu says "raising terrorists", has come to the fore many times with its relations with the AKP, the murder of Deniz Poyraz, and the training of paramilitary groups like Al Nusra, which Turkey has used as a proxy in different countries. SADAT attempted to kill 34 villagers in Lice in 2016.
The International Defense Consulting Construction Industry and Trade Joint Stock Company (SADAT), headed by Adnan Tanrıverdi who is the former military adviser of AKP Chairperson Tayyip Erdoğan, is on the agenda once again. CHP Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu went in front of SADAT's building yesterday and said, "There is unconventional war training among the goals of this organisation. That is, sabotage, raid, ambush, destruction, assassination and terror. We call the organisation as a 'terrorist organisation' because the organisation trains terrorists.” SADAT had previously come to the fore with the statements of state-affiliated gang leader Sedat Peker.
SECRET ORGANISATION
SADAT, which once again attracted attention of the people after Kılıçdaroğlu's statements, defines itself as "the first and only Turkish company that provides consultancy and military training in the field of international defense". SADAT, which has no legal statute, is also described as the "secret armed organisation" of the AKP. SADAT was founded on February 28, 2012 by 23 retired commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers from various units of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
FOUNDERS OF SADAT
Among the founders of SADAT, Mehmet Naci Efe, Mehmet Tek, Nurettin Yavuz, Yusuf Çağlayan, Reşat Fidan, Bülent Demir, Seyda Ünlükul, Cengiz Uzun, Ersan Ergür, Ünsal İşgören, Osman Kaçmaz, Gürol Özeşmeli, Mustafa Hacımustafaoğulları, Ahmet Türkan, Fethi Kıran , Gürcan Onat, Mustafa Erol, Mehmet Çakıroğlu, Haluk Yıldırım, Mehmet Demirtaş, Mehmet Zelka and Mehmet İlhan. SADAT's advisor list includes many names like special warfare and psychological warfare experts. SADAT is headed by retired Brigadier General Adnan Tanriverdi, a former chief adviser to AKP Chairperson Tayyip Erdogan.
TANRIVERDI'S BACKGROUND
Tanrıverdi is one of the founding members of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Defenders of Justice (ASSAM) and the Association of Defenders of Justice (ASDER). Tanriverdi served for nearly 30 years in the General Staff Special Warfare Department and the TRNC Civil Defense Organisation Presidency. One of Tanriverdi's students, who took classes as an instructor at the Army War College, was Defense Minister Hulusi Akar. Tanriverdi, who was promoted to brigadier general, was officially retired on February 28 due to "lack of position". However, he was dismissed from his military service at that time. Tanriverdi later joined the Justice Defenders Association (ASDER), which was founded by retired soldiers like himself, and held the position of the general chairperson of the institution for 5 years. Prior to founding of SADAT, Tanrıverdi conducted studies on the operation of American private companies that provides consultancy in the field of military strategy in the USA.
TANRIVERDI'S ACQUAINTANCE WITH ERDOĞAN
Tanriverdi's acquaintance with Erdogan dates back to the 1994 elections. Tanriverdi was serving as the Brigade Commander in Istanbul Maltepe during Erdogan's mayoral term. Tanriverdi, who is among the names that Erdogan trusts, was appointed as the Chief Advisor to the President in August 2016. Tanriverdi became one of Erdogan's most important advisers, especially in military fields. Making a statement at a congress held in Istanbul in December 2019, Tanriverdi said, "We need to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi." Following the public backlash, he was dismissed from his positions as Chief Advisor and Security and Foreign Policy Committee Member in January 2020.
'WARNING' LETTER TO THE GENERAL STAFF
Tanriverdi came to the fore in 2006 with a letter he wrote to the then Chief of Staff Hilmi Özkök. In the letter, Tanrıverdi said, "You have a few months left until your retirement. You should think for the last time and help the formation of a command echelon that will not be in conflict with the national will, but will work in harmony. I do not think that you are satisfied with the point reached today. I also don't think you can hand over the mission in peace because, even though it has been 10 years since my retirement, I am disturbed by the negative role of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) on the course of the situation."
TANRIVERDI AT THE "SECURITY SUMMIT"
Tanriverdi also attended the "Security Summit" meeting under the chairpersonship of Erdogan during the operation launched by the TAF against Afrin. Tanriverdi attracted attention by sitting next to MIT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan at the meeting.
UNREGISTERED WEAPONS
SADAT first used the Naval Forces' Ulaşlı Camp in İzmit Gölcük. Afterwards, it effectively used some of the camps on the Syrian border and the military camps in Kırşehir, which were reserved for the training and of the soldiers as well as equipping them. SADAT actively continued its activities, especially in the camps on the border of Hatay and Antep. Supporting many groups in the region, SADAT organised units like the Sultan Murat Brigades and pioneered Turkey's direct involvement in the Syrian war. Some people trained by SADAT with "special warfare" techniques known as "unconventional warfare" then acted with ISIS, which attacked North-East Syria.
Weapons and ammunition used by SADAT in trainings was one of the most discussed topics. It has come to the fore many times to date regarding the weapons and ammunition used by SADAT in training which are met from the unregistered inventory of the TAF.
WEAPONS HANDED OVER TO CIVILLIANS ON COUP NIGHT
It was widely discussed at that time that the people trained by SADAT were used during the military coup attempt on July 15, 2016. One of the most important allegations regarding that night was that a large number of heavy weapons were handed over to civilians under the leadership of SADAT. It is not known who is in possession of these weapons at the moment.
THEY WANTED TO KILL THE PEASANTS IN LICE
One of the first activities of SADAT in the field was a military operation in the Lice district of Diyarbakır in July 2016. In the said operation, 34 villagers were wanted to be killed by a "special unit", which was later revealed to be from SADAT. Sebahat Tuncel, Co-Chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) at the time, stated at the press conference that 34 villagers whom SADAT wanted to kill was prevented by an officer. Tuncel said, “A unit, all of whom has beards, and has tattoos in Arabic tried to burn down the villagers with gas. If the officer allowed it, they would have done it."
UNIVERSITY RECTOR AS ADVISORY STAFF
Üsküdar University founding rector Prof. Nevzat Tarhan and Prof. Mehmet Zelka was among the advisors of the company. Writting an article on the structure of the company, Journalist Çiğdem Toker said, “What makes the company extraordinary is the fields of activity that they openly declared. They're selling lessons on 'how to kill people', which the gun industry doesn't like. If you ask, 'What might this company be consulting with the professors who we assume to accept life as a value, not death when raising university students?' I don't know that."
PEKER'S SADAT POSTS
SADAT's illegal and paramilitary activities came to the fore with the confessions of state-affiliated gang leader Sedat Peker. Peker said: “It was a common idea to call to arms to create a climate of fear in the country. You can't say that we weren't aware that I was going to commit bloodshed" regarding Tanrıverdi. Peker tweeted about SADAT sending weapons to organisations such as Al Nusra.
THE CLAIM THAT PEKER TRAINED THE KILLER OF DENİZ POYRAZ
SADAT came to the fore in the event of the murder of HDP employee Deniz Poyraz in the HDP İzmir Provincial Organisation building. It was claimed that SADAT trained Onur Gencer, who murdered Poyraz, in Syria.
Despite all this, the motion and investigation requests submitted to the Parliament on SADAT were either rejected or left unanswered by the AKP-MHP.