Turkey will continue fighting whatever powers seek to undermine the government, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Sunday as he addressed flag-waving rallygoers in Istanbul in the wake of an abortive coup attempt last month.
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Erdogan on Sunday again spoke of reinstating the death penalty, which German officials have said would put a stopper on talks for Turkey to join the EU.
Only at 02:05 (GMT + 3 hours), when the military coup attempt failed, the White House issued a statement in which it clearly expressed support for democracy in Turkey.
It was attended by the ruling conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP), along with two opposition parties – the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), represented by its chief Devlet Bahceli, and centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP), represented by its head and leader of the opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
“The European Union is not behaving in a honest manner with Turkey”, Erdogan said in comments published by Le Monde on Monday, noting that the visa waiver for Turkish citizens was supposed to kick in on June 1.
“That night, our enemies who were rubbing their hands in anticipation of Turkey’s downfall woke up the next morning to the grief that things would be more hard from now on”, Erdogan said of the July 15 abortive coup, drawing parallels to times past when Turkey was occupied by foreign forces. “If we can carry this power and the culture of reconciliation even further, we will leave a better Turkey for our children”, he told the crowd, according to Turkish state media.
The message of leaders’ and other speakers’ speeches were clear – thanking the Turkish population for standing up for the concept of democracy.
“As a state and as a nation we need to analyze the July 15 coup attempt very well. Our countries have much to do together”, Erdogan said in an interview with the Russian state news agency Tass. Erdogan blames his former ally turned arch enemy Fethullah Gulen for organizing the coup.
Since the coup bid, Turkish authorities have suspended, detained or placed under investigation tens of thousands of people, including soldiers, police, judges, journalists, medics and civil servants, prompting concern among Western allies that Erdogan is using the events to tighten his grip on power.
Erdogan reiterated that he would approve the reintroduction of capital punishment if parliament were to pass a bill to that effect.
Erdogan’s government has attempted to justify its heavy-handed actions by insinuating that the Gulen movement – the followers of the aging cleric – is behind the failed coup has infiltrated these different institutions.
In contrast, the Kremlin was quick to voice support to Erdogan immediately after the failed coup and, unlike the European Union, didn’t voice concern about the ensuing crackdown – the stance reflecting Putin’s intention to mend bilateral ties. “Without any condition. Since you are demanding the death penalty, the authority that will decide on this is the great Turkish national assembly”, he said in his speech to the huge crowd.
“I say in advance: I would ratify such a decision from parliament”, the president said.
“I wish they had come here to Turkey”, Erdogan added.
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Almost 18,000 people have been detained or arrested, mostly from the military, and tens of thousands of people have been suspended or dismissed from jobs in the judiciary, media, education, health care, military and local government.
