The putsch was attempted by a small fraction in the Turkish Armed Forces and was stopped in its tracks by the Turkish people from all segments of the society with the support of the overwhelming majority of the armed forces and Police that remained loyal to the people, the state and the democratically elected Government. Plotters bombed various state institutions including the Parliament and the premises of the Presidency, fired at the people from tanks, helicopters and APC’s, devastated public and private infrastructure and attempted to destroy the legal democratic regime in Türkiye. On that bleak day, perhaps the darkest ever recorded in Turkish history, some 250 innocent citizens and security officials were murdered in cold blood more than two thousand were wounded as they hurled their bodies forward to resist this treasonous plot. It is their sacrifice and bravery that thwarted this catastrophe and saved our people from being subjugated to the rule of those that would see our citizens enslaved to wishes of a delusional cleric and his cast of unquestioning minions.

Initial investigations conducted by the judiciary reveal that the putsch was attempted by militants loyal to Fethullah Gülen Terror Organization, who disguised themselves in state institutions in various ways. The coup attempt once again showed that the said organization members, who infiltrated state institutions through questionable and illegal methods for decades, have turned out to be an ominous threat to the Turkish people and democracy. Following the coup attempt, political parties represented both in and outside of the Turkish Parliament, who are known to have seriously divergent views in the past, came together in the spirit of democracy and national unity to oppose this illegitimate and forceful grab for power, denouncing the putsch in one voice. Also, upon invitation of our President, the Governing AK Party and the two main opposition parties came together and announced that they reached a consensus to make certain amendments to our Constitution. An important environment of solidarity and mutual understanding emerged in Türkiye, where every day opposing views on general government policies have been temporarily relegated to second place behind the crucial issue of national unity by members and leaders of opposition itself with the explicit aim of defending our country against this heinous threat. It is obvious that this environment will encourage people from various views to work for Turkish democracy under a common understanding and conciliatory spirit in the forthcoming period. Türkiye, in accordance with the rule of law and human rights, will continue to take any legal measures necessary to eliminate the remnants of the FETÖ organisation from state institutions and other groupings that fund the movement.

The Gulenists have been infiltrating state institutions since the 1970s. They drew their human resources from the most disadvantaged segments of society, offering free education and boarding to potential members at a very young age, the potential followers were indoctrinated at early ages and, as seen in other militant groups, their contact with the outside world and society was extremely limited. As the organization grew members were placed in all critical state structures, questions for entry examinations to military schools, university faculties’, academies and other state institutions were obtained by any and all means to enable further infiltration. Militants already in state structures ensured that younger members were looked after and fast-tracked in promotions. Militants made sure to obtain critical duties in structures to further weed out regular citizens from these structures through mobbing, intimidation, slander and even murder. It was the Gulen movement that first brought forward charges against regular army personnel and civil servants as well as academics, intellectuals and journalist in the so called “Ergenekon and Sledgehammer” cases between 2007-2014 when hundreds of qualified civilian and military professionals were purged with fabricated evidence and by order of judges loyal to this illegal movement.

Following the collapse of these trials with the superhuman effort of those slandered and their lawyers and with the full support of the current Government, those falsely imprisoned were found not-guilty in re-trials and upon their release documented at the courts and by means of hundreds of books and articles the extent of the plot by the Gulen supporters.

Finally, in order to prevent the recurrence of such a coup attempt and honour the sacrifice of our people, it was deemed necessary to declare a State of Emergency for 3 months, as is the case in France following the heinous IS attacks in that country. The State of Emergency will be implemented in accordance with international legal norms and in full compliance with relevant international treaties and obligations and strictly within the rules governed in our constitution and judicial system. Türkiye succeeded in stopping an existential threat not only to itself but to the stability of the wider region, with its strong belief in democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Turkish people’s sincere belief in democracy is not empty rhetoric but tried and tested under the unrelenting fire of heavy weapons at the hands of those hiding among us who displayed no mercy in using these weapons against us. It is under these extraordinary circumstances that a consensus to defend and advance our rights rising from a long standing, hard-earned tradition of free and fair democratic processes has been galvanized across the entire political spectrum in Türkiye.