The following article was written in response to a Gateway House Feature of 27 July 2016 entitled “The beginning of the end for Erdogan”, written by Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, Distinguished Fellow, International Security and Maritime Studies, Gateway House.
Ever since the coup attempt of July 15, 2016 which was thwarted thanks to the heroic stance of the people of Turkey and their devotion to the principles of democracy, there has been a continuous stream of support from members of the international community which stood behind the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Yet a certain segment – including commentators on the website of Gateway House – have yet to condemn this coup attempt for what it really is: an indefensible attack on democracy.
This response will offer an accurate depiction of the events which unfolded on the night of the 15th of July, 2016, the objective and modus operandi of the terrorist group behind this coup attempt and the dangers they pose to international security with the hopes that it will shed some much needed light on any misunderstandings.
The night of July 15, 2016 up until the morning hours of the following day, Turkey and its democratically-elected Government were targeted by a coup attempt orchestrated by a minority group belonging to the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO). This terrorist organization had spent decades infiltrating deep into the key institutions of the State, Judiciary and the Turkish Armed Forces. IT was the longest night in Turkish political history, ONE in which F-16 fighter planes, helicopter gunships, tanks and heavy artillery were hijacked and used by terrorists in disguise to target millions of innocent civilians trying desperately to safeguard democracy and their universal right to vote for a democratically elected government of their choice.
It was this iron will of the citizens of Turkey and their uncompromising belief in the deeply rooted democratic traditions and institutions of our country which proved to be critical in defeating this coup attempt. Citizens from all walks of life, from all ages, religious and ethnic backgrounds united under the banner of democracy and took to the streets, risking their lives in the process.
Under the unwavering leadership of HE President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the first President of the Republic of Turkey to be elected by a popular vote (voted into office with 52 % of the popular vote) and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım (whose Government had also attained the votes of one out of every two persons in the November 2015 general elections), democracy and the people’s will defeated tanks and guns.
Even though this coup d’etat was undertaken by a minority group loyal to FETO, it took decades of preparation to undertake. Therefore it is important to give a detailed account of the inner workings of the terrorist organization responsible for this atrocious attack.
The Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) is not an entity which has emerged overnight. Led by Fethullah Gülen, a renegade preacher with an elementary school education, FETO has spent the last four decades infiltrating key organs of the State, the Judiciary, the security establishment, including the Police and Armed Forces as well as other bodies and organizations within the realm of bureaucracy, business and non-governmental organizations. This entity is officially classified as a terrorist organization by the Republic of Turkey and other international organizations. [1]
The effectiveness of FETO’s penetration into key and sensitive areas of the state establishments can be attributed to a number of factors. FETO operates according to a strictly authoritarian model where the leader of the cult, Fethullah Gülen, has absolute authority over his subjects who are blinded by his radical teachings in which he projects himself as a ‘divine’ figure whose authority comes directly from God. There is no room for questioning any of his instructions and those who do confront his twisted ideology are quickly reprimanded, distanced, discredited and fall victim to slander. Like many other cults, FETO targets the underprivileged and vulnerable youth for recruiting purposes. These youths are identified at an early age and are quickly incorporated into recruitment and brainwashing centers which operate under the disguise of educational/cultural centers or other types of non-governmental organizations. While such recruitment centers in Turkey have since been identified and shut down by the Turkish government, many similar centers continue to operate in close to 140 countries. They present a serious threat to their host countries as FETO also aims to infiltrate into the state apparatus of those same countries.
FETO finances its activities through the extortion of its members who are asked to hand over a percentage of their salary each month (a practice called ‘himmet’) in exchange for being placed in sought-after jobs within the public sector as well as other aforementioned sensitive posts. These placements are done through fraud, leaking of highly competitive civil servant entry exam questions through members whO have already infiltrated the organization in question. These leaked questions are then passed on to prospective candidates, also members of FETO, who then pass those rigged exams and interview panels to land the jobs. it thereby deprives thousands of ordinary Turkish citizens of the opportunity to enter and work in state institutions.
FETO is ruthless in overcoming any obstacle in its path. Many senior officials within the judiciary, public sector as well as the security establishment who have resisted or raised concerns at the coercive methods of this organization, have been eliminated by the organization. They have been sentenced to lengthy prison sentences through doctored evidence, quickly processed and implemented by their members who had managed to infiltrate law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.
The perpetrators of this coup attempt were carefully brainwashed, trained and placed into highly sensitive positions over a period of four decades, which FETO hoped would culminate in the overthrow of a democratically-elected government.
Despite being unsuccessful, the costs of this coup attempt at a humanitarian level were horrendous. Due to the indiscriminate targeting of citizens that night by the perpetrators of thE attempted coup, 237 people lost their lives, out of which 170 were unarmed civilians. The number of wounded was larger, AT 2,191. The symbol of Turkey’s democracy, the Grand National Assembly, was bombed 12 times by fighter planes without regard for the lives of the elected Members of Parliament from all political parties who had gathered in the building throughout the night to protect their democracy. The air strikes were reinforced with artillery shelling, with the goal of inflicting as many casualties as possible and rounding up the survivors for further violence.
The perpetrators then attacked the Presidential complex and the Prime Ministry, firing on civilians who had gathered outside. Young cadets enrolled in the Police Department were targeted when their Special Forces Headquarters were bombed; 52 officers died. Meanwhile in Istanbul, the perpetrators of the coup closed the bridges over the Bosphorus to traffic, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and in the line of fire. Civilians who tried to passively resist were fired at across many districts in Istanbul and across the country.
The President and his family were targeted specifically, while at a Hotel in Marmaris which they planned to raid with a Special Forces team picked specifically for this purpose. They were repelled by the heroic Presidential Security Services. despite the immediate danger to his person, the President immediately traveled to Istanbul, then to Ankara to assure the Turkish nation that he would stand for democracy whatever the cost may be. All through these attacks, the coup plotters also tried to silence the media, briefly taking control of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation and other private networks such as CNN Turk at gun point.
As the largest democracy in the world, our Indian friends can without a doubt relate to the sacrifices and determined stance displayed that night by the Turkish nation. IT can be best described by the words of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian nation and independence, ‘Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will, and that non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind, it is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction’.
Turkish-Indian relations have a deeply rooted history based on solidarity and assistance in times of hardship. In this context we will forever be grateful for the invaluable assistance provided by India during our War of Independence against imperialist powers bent upon the colonization of not only our nation but the region as a whole. By the same token, the great statesman, Mahatma Gandhi’s heroic and selfless efforts at putting a halt to the ambitions of such imperial powers will forever be remembered as a guiding light to the peoples of the world who want nothing more than their universal right to self-determination and independence. We are honored by the fact that both our countries share a glorious past in resisting and defeating colonialist powers.
The article carried by Gateway House is in direct contradiction with the philosophy, teachings and examples set by the great statesman Mahatma Gandhi, and is an attack on our shared history and universal democratic principles. It is incorrect to state that the passive resistance displayed by the Turkish citizens, a notion etched deep into the hearts of all proud Indian citizens in their rightful resistance to colonial rule in the past, could have and should have been prevented by the silencing of the press. It is also incorrect to classify as ‘mobs’ the millions of Turkish citizens from all political views and backgrounds who resisted the coup attempt.
There is no difference in the mentality behind the terrorist attacks perpetrated on the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkey on July 15th, 2016 and the terrorist attack which targeted the Indian Parliament in 2001. There is no difference between the mentality of those who attacked the hotel in which the Turkish President and his family were residing in Marmaris and the attacks which took place against civilians in Mumbai in 2008 when the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel was targeted. In order for the international fight against terrorism to be effective, countries must cease differentiating between terrorist organizations. This is a struggle between democracy and civilization on the one hand and terrorism and bloodshed on the other. It is in this context that Turkey welcomed the statement of the Ministry of External Affairs of India following this coup attempt, ‘supporting democracy and the mandate of the ballot’.[2]
Following the failed coup attempt and the seriousness of the threat posed to the citizens of Turkey, a state of emergency was declared for a temporary period of three months. Contrary to the Gateway House article, this act is fully within the confines of the Constitution as stipulated under Article 120. THIS is aimed at eradicating the elements of FETO from the key institutions of the state while safeguarding ‘democracy, freedoms and the rule of law’. [3] It does not in any way hinder or limits the rights and freedoms of the Turkish citizens. Similar actions were taken by France following the attacks in Paris in November of 2015 then further extended following the terrorist attack in Nice in July. Meanwhile in Germany similar measures were also taken after a terrorist attack which took place at a shopping mall in Munich.
In addition to taking the above stated necessary measures to eradicate the presence of FETO within Turkey, there will be an effort made to do the same for its tentacles that reach beyond Turkish borders, thus underlining the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. At the moment, the leadership cadre of this organization has based their center of operations in the United States. For this reason, Turkey has officially lodged an extradition request to the United States for Fethullah Gülen. All evidence regarding the coup attempt being organized by the FETO terrorist organization has also been submitted along with the extradition request.
Noting the irrefutable nature of the evidence presented by the Turkish authorities, we have the utmost confidence that following a review of the evidence, the United States will extradite the terrorist leader to Turkey where he will face justice. Turkey and the United States continue to enjoy an advance level of strategic partnership, and unlike the Gateway House commentator’s position, the United States is not in the habit of “pressuring” or working “actively to replace” democratically elected leaders.
Turkey has long been and will continue to be a symbol of democracy in the region while continuing to be a reliable partner and member of NATO, a strategic partner for the West in the fight against terrorism and an important trading partner for countries in the region. It will continue to be a harbor of peace, stability and security for the millions of refugees fleeing conflict zones in neighboring countries. While the international community has largely turned a blind eye to the plight of millions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, Turkey has followed an open door policy for more than 2.7 million refugees.
The July 15th coup attempt aimed to destroy the democratic institutions in Turkey and replace it with a military junta. Terrorist organizations such as FETO, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK/PYD) and Daesh have all been used as tools by foreign powers with colonial ambitions on the region to try and destabilize Turkey. It is without a doubt that their desired objective is to erode central state authority and consequently carve out smaller enclaves which will be under their direct control. The disastrous consequences of such methods have been seen repeatedly both in Iraq and Syria. The attempts in Turkey failed miserably and have only served to further unite the Turkish nation under the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
The citizens of Turkey soundly demonstrated that only the ballot box can decide the future of their country. The Turkish Grand National Assembly followed suit and all political parties represented in the Parliament condemned the coup attempt through a unanimous vote. Turkey will continue to undertake the reforms which have made it a shining light in the region and will continue to count on the support of our allies such as India, in upholding the principles of democracy and the rule of law. We seek and count on your continuing support in the fight against terrorism and once again underline the importance we place on our close friendship based on deep historical roots.
Serdar Çam is the President of TİKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency)
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[1] Republic of Turkey, Office of the Prime Minister, Directorate General of Press and Information, OIC Designates Feto a Terrorist Organization, (Ankara: Office of the Prime Minister, Directorate General of Press and Information), http://www.byegm.gov.tr/english/agenda/oic-designates-feto-a-terrorist-organization/97906
[2] Ministry of External Affairs of India, Government of India, Statement on Developments in Turkey, (New Delhi: Ministry of External Affairs, 2016), http://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/27031/Statement_on_developments_in_Turkey
[3] Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, State of Emergency is Aimed at Safeguarding Democracy, Freedoms and the Law, http://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542/49705/state-of-emergency-is-aimed-at-safeguarding-democracy-freedoms-and-the-law.html