ISLAMABD, (DNA) – Ambassador of Turkey Sadik Babur Girgin has said the coup attempt of July 15 was not an action of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) as an institution. The fact that the number of military personnel detained after the coup attempt amounts to less than one percent of the strength of the TAF is a clear demonstration of this.
The ambassador further said, the High Command of TAF and the majority of the army declared their opposition to the attempt from the beginning. Chief of General Staff and some high-rank commanders were taken hostage by the plotters. Other high-ranking commanders appeared on TV and declared that TAF was not behind the coup attempt.
The coup attempt was a criminalact against Turkey’s constitutional order and organized by the members of Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) infiltrated into the TAF overdecades.
It was the Turkish nation, above all, who thwarted the coup by resisting in the streets. Political leaders stood firm. President flew to Istanbul bearing all risks.
The parliament immediately met in an extraordinary session and all political parties signed a declaration opposing the coup attempt. Turkish media played also an important role to defend the democracy, he added.
The ambassador said, the coup attempt lasted 5-6 hours, after that security forces started apprehending the perpetrators. The investigations are ongoing.7,423 military personnel have been detained, 220 of them have been charged and arrested until now.
208 citizens (145 civilians, 60 police officers and 3 soldiers) were martyred, 24 coup plotters were captured dead, 50 of plotters were captured wounded. One attack helicopter was shot down. Four F-16 fighter planes and between 2-4 tanker aircraft from Incirlik Air Base is said to have been used in the coup attempt, Ambassador Girgin told.
Turkey has solid proofs that the coup attempt was an act of Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the leader of which, Fethullah Gülen, has been living in the United States for almost 20 years.
Some confessions of arrested plotters clearly show that it was planned and carried out by FETÖ. Even the Personal Staff Officer of the Chief of General Staff has confessed that he is a member of FETÖ and infiltrated to the army by the terrorist organization as a cadet.
“We have been asking all friendly countries to take necessary measures against this terrorist group”.
The terrorists will be tried and sentenced in accordance with the law. Despite all transparency, some international media are distorting the facts.Detentions are being presented as “arrests”.Precautionary suspension of civil servants during investigations is presented as “sacking”.
Turkey’s fight with terrorist organizations, such as PKK/YPG and DAESH will continue as before.
Turkey has declared State of Emergency for three months as stipulated in the Constitution. This is not a Martial Law, civilian rule continues. Life of civilians, tourism and economy in Turkey will not be affected. It gives immediate powers to the government against terrorism.
Life has returned to normal the next day throughout the country. Turkish Airlines resumed flights within hours. Only two Turkish Airlines flights to Pakistan were cancelled during that night. There have been no major reservation cancellations by Pakistani passengers, which showed their support to Turkey.
The ambassador said they are grateful to the people and media of Pakistan for their support to Turkey’s democracy. =DNA
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