A big victory for Turkish democracy
COUP ATTEMPT: The people, loyal soldiers and police halted this horrific attempt with an admirable display of courage
JULY 15 began just like any ordinary Friday night in Turkey, but has now turned into a victory for democracy in Turkey. Beginning with the spread of statements on social media around 10pm, coup d’état rumours regarding the capture of the Bosphorus Bridge by soldiers with tanks turned into reality with invasions and horrible conflicts in just a short period of time.
The coup attempt, staged by a small group of soldiers within the Turkish Armed Forces, which happens to be Turkey’s source of pride, expected great triumph. Yet, the success anticipated by coup plotters did not come to fruition. The Turkish police and public halted this horrific attempt with an admirable display of courage that night. In the wake of the counterfeit coup notice, people poured into the streets at night-time despite the curfew declared by the junta. The next day, until noon, the Turkish people did not leave the streets until every inch of Turkey was free of pro-coup soldiers and tanks. This was, perhaps, the first time in the history of the world that a large-scale coup attempt was warded off by the great effort and support of civilians.
We hope that this civil movement by citizens of the Turkish Republic puts an end to the history of coups d’état in the Middle East, which has been ongoing for a century. By exacting a toll on the streets, our people clearly showed that Turkey is no longer a country vulnerable to coups d’état. Turkey may have more difficulties to overcome on its way to becoming the most modern society in the world. However, the Turkish nation clearly showed that they do not want to live in a country under the yoke of the junta. This military junta aimed the guns that are entrusted to them by the state at its own people. They betrayed this noble charge. On the night of July 15, bullets were fired at unarmed people, not only from guns but also tanks and helicopters. The pro-coup soldiers ran over and crushed civilian people with tanks. It is impossible to even attempt to explain this blind rage. Each coup that has ever happened in Turkey was horrible and frightful. However, none of them reached such a level of cruelty as to target and kill the very people of this country.
The night of July 15 was a night that soldiers in the quarters and fearless police in the streets and in official buildings fought heroically. The biggest difference between the night of July 15 and other military coups in the world, thus far, was that the people joined their hearts into one and poured into the streets, risking their lives to support our audacious police. The reason they took to the streets was not only to protest but also to hold the coup plotters off. And that they did; many of the places the plotters had occupied were regained by the extraordinary bravery of the Turkish people. That night, the Turkish nation hit the streets, united, with Turkish, Kurdish, Cherkess, Albanian, and Arabic people all as one. The coup was protested all over the country, in all cities and districts. That night, each person, even those with a different opinion, vision and belief, was on the streets, fighting for justice together.
A Chinese man, shielding himself in front of unrelenting tanks in Tiananmen Square in China or President Boris Yeltsin speaking to his people from atop a tank has been shown as the symbol for all things anti-coup for years. On the night of July 15, on the streets of the Turkish Republic, there were thousands lying down in front of the tanks, stepping up onto tanks, pulling cars in front of tanks, falling victim to the bullets of the coup plotter soldiers. At the air force bases occupied by pro-coup soldiers, the people took part in the struggle to prevent F-16s from taking off. The largest civil loss happened as a result of these struggles.