TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsJuly 15 and Turkey's defining democratic stand
By standing up for its independence and future to confront the coup plotters, our august nation asserted to the entire world that the will of the people can never be subjugated.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses people gathered at the Presidential Complex to protest the July 15th failed military coup attempt in Ankara, Turkey on Aug. 10, 2016. (AFP/various sources/Kayhan Ozer)
O
ne of the most brutal coup attempts in Turkey’s political history took place exactly 10 years ago, on July 15, 2016. Orchestrated by a terrorist network that had insidiously infiltrated the institutions of our state, this coup attempt sought to plunge Turkey into years of chaos and subjugate the future of our nation.
By standing up for its independence and future to confront the coup plotters, our august nation asserted to the entire world through its heroic resistance that the will of the people can never be subjugated in these lands. Undoubtedly, the Turkish nation's prudence, courage and foresight on the night of July 15 are also unprecedented in the history of world democracy.
This treacherous insurrection by the Fetullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETO) was far more than a conventional coup attempt; it was an all-out act of invasion directed against our country’s independence. The primary targets of the putschists were the emblematic institutions that embody the national will and our nation's independence, namely the Presidential Complex and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
On the night of July 15, I underlined in my public statement that I had never recognized any power greater than that of the people. I made that statement in full confidence that the Turkish nation would stand firm in defense of its own will. Indeed, that very night, our people took to the streets with unwavering faith and determination, refusing to submit to the domination of this terrorist organization. Risking their lives to defend the independence of their country, its democratic achievements, and its free will, our nation repelled the putschists and inscribed an epic of national will that shall be remembered with pride for generations to come.
Inspired by the brave stance of our nation, we acted swiftly to eliminate any negative consequences of this treacherous insurrection. We promptly introduced comprehensive structural reforms to eliminate from all state institutions any antidemocratic formations that could threaten democratic governance through extrapolitical means.
We subsequently attained critical achievements through operations conducted both at home and abroad as part of our strategy to eliminate the other terrorist organizations we have been combating. Ultimately, we launched the “Terror-Free Turkey” initiative, marking a new chapter in our nation’s story of unity and solidarity.
This process, one of the essential cornerstones of our "Century of Turkey" vision, is, praise be to Allah, advancing firmly toward its destination with an all-encompassing and inclusive approach through the diligence of our security forces and the support of the political establishment.
