“For example, the issue of whether the chief of General Staff can cry. Yes, a soldier should be strong. He should stand up even in the face of the most agonizing incidents and should not display behaviors that show weakness and failure. However, he should also know how to weep when a son of this land dies,” Gülen said in a speech published on Twitter on Monday.
Stating that if someone who is “the protector” of soldiers reflects “the beating of his heart through tears,” this is only doing what is human. Gülen said those who criticize the military chief should question their own “humanity.” Referring to journalists who called Özel a “cry baby,” Gülen said if someone should be condemned, it is those who cannot cry in such circumstances.
The PKK killed eight soldiers last week after a group of terrorists crossed the border with Iraq and attacked the Yeşiltaş Military Outpost in Dağlıca a town in Hakkari's Yüksekova district. In a rare move by Turkish commanders during the funeral of slain soldiers, Özel was unable to hold back tears during a funeral ceremony held for soldiers last Wednesday.
Published on Today's Zaman, 27 June 2012, Wednesday
