One year after the coup, Turkey is stronger, President Erdoğan more popular
16 July 2017News Agencies
A full year has passed since that dark day when the Gülenists within the
Turkish army attempted a bloody coup in Turkey. Their 40-plus-year plans in
the making, however, were destroyed in less than 24 hours by the will of the
people. Rarely have we seen such a people-power moment in modern history.
When millions of Turkish citizens think back to last summer's failed coup,
they remember the 250 innocent people who were martyred at the hands of the
putschists and more than 2,000 others who survived the attack with injuries.
Parents remember having to explain to their children what exactly a military
coup was and why armed men wearing the uniforms of Turkish soldiers were
firing at the people they were supposed to protect. How we came together as a
nation and thwarted a coup attempt is a source of pride for us. By contrast,
there has been a coordinated effort since the coup attempt officially ended to
downplay the significance of what had happened and instead focus on the steps
taken by the Turkish government to prevent future attacks by Gülenist Terror
Group (FETÖ) operatives. But the narrative they push against Turkey doesn't
change the facts on the ground. Regardless of their political views, gender or
status, Turkish people wrote history over the past 12 months by getting back
on their feet against this shameful onslaught on their democracy, freedom and
independence.
By declaring a state of emergency and dismissing known FETÖ operatives from
public office, the government deprived the terrorists of the official powers
and public resources that they abused to finance and implement their evil
plans for years. The claim that Turkey as a NATO ally would face a security
risk after the arrest of coup plotters in the army has turned out to be
totally wrong. To the contrary, the Turkish army and the police are now fully
recovering from the virus of the Gülenist infiltration and rendering its
services to the people and the country in the way they are supposed to. It was
thanks to our efforts that the Turkish military could launch Operation
Euphrates Shield and deal a major blow to Daesh terrorists in northern Syria
just six weeks after the failed coup. At the same time, Turkey took
significant steps against other terrorist groups, including the PKK, by
stopping the flow of recruits and financial resources to the terrorists.At the
same time, the Turkish economy has quickly recovered from the failed coup's
aftershocks and recorded 5 percent growth in the first quarter of 2017. At the
same time, the BIST 100 index gained almost 30 percent since January to hit
record highs and rewards investors. Meanwhile, we are moving forward with mega
projects including the construction of the world's largest airport in Istanbul
and an intercontinental bridge across the Dardanelles.
Finally, on the night of the coup attempt, millions of our Muslim brothers,
from Central Asia to South America, from Indonesia to Africa, were with Turkey
and prayed for our welfare and peace. In fact, immediately after the coup
attempt, many publications from across the Islamic world and countless Muslim
leaders openly stated that they stood by Turkey. Millions flooded public
squares, crowded into mosques to show their comradeship with the Turkish
public. However, the complete lack of response from most of the Western
countries, their failure to demonstrate even a hint of solidarity, belated or
ambiguous remarks came across as thought provoking to say the least.
Turkey has been taking bold steps in the international arena since last
summer's coup attempt. Although the decision by certain European countries to
grant asylum to coup plotters and their accomplices fuels tensions, Turkey and
the European Union have been trying to engage in a constructive dialogue to
revive membership talks. With the Geneva and Astana processes, Turkey is
playing a key role in containing the bloody war in Syria and finding a
political solution to the conflict that has claimed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people. Turkey continues to diversify and expand its foreign
policy outlook in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
For foreign investors and governments alike, Turkey remains a place where they
can find friends and allies with whom they can work on mutually beneficial
projects. However, it is important for the world to come to terms with the
fact that our efforts to bring all the coup plotters, including the senior
leaders of FETÖ, to justice are non-negotiable. We will prosecute those
responsible to the full extent of the law while remaining fully committed to
the rule of law.
We should remember that the Gülenist coup attempt was also an act of invasion
in the widest sense of the term – invading not only people's lives and state's
institutions but also the hearts and minds of the people of Anatolia that
stand as a beacon of hope for tens of millions of people who want to see a
more just and humane world. Those who shelter the Gülenists and seek to find
ways to justify their heinous act of treason run the risk of losing this noble
people and a key country for a handful of apocalyptic criminals.
Were with us and prayed with us on that shameful day...
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EsinIslam.Com
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