ANNIVERSARY OF JULY 15 PRESS
BRIEFING

Dear members of
the press,

As the Embassy
of the Republic of Turkey, we are holding this press conference to commemorate
the first anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt.

One year ago,
Turkish nation lost brave 250 souls in what can only be called an unprecedented
attack on its sovereignty. On July 15, a renegade group of soldiers who are
followers of Fetullah Gulen who calls himself the “imam of the universe” tried
to seize control of the state.

FETO which stands
for Fetullah Gülen Terrorist Organization, is a cult whose members have been
infiltrating security forces and other state institutions for decades. They
tried to overthrow democratically elected government of Turkey and subdue
Turkish nation by using the very weapons that were given to them to protect the
people.

The putschists
used fighter jets to bomb the Turkish Parliament, the Presidential Compound,
the National Intelligence Headquarters, Special Forces Headquarters in an
effort to subdue the resistance against them.

They attempted
to assassinate the President and the Prime Minister.

Like Namibians,
Turks are brave people. Like Namibian nation, Turkish nation values its freedom
and democracy. Like Namibians who fought in the liberation struggle, Turkish
citizens won’t give up their sovereignty and dignity easily, so they fought
back on July 15.

Realizing the
threat, the majority of Turkish Armed Forces and Law Enforcement who are loyal
to the constitution and founding principles of Turkish Republic, fought back against
the coup plotters. Alongside security forces, ordinary Turkish citizens took
the streets, used their own body as a shield to prevent seizure of their state
institutions.

250 people were
killed and 2185 people were wounded by the coup plotters. We will never forget
their sacrifice and we will never forget why they made this sacrifice, which is
to protect their country’s democracy.

It is impossible
to find the appropriate words to describe the brutality and treachery that the
putschists displayed that night. It was
the worst act of terror in the history of the Turkish Republic.

We are still
struggling to overcome the trauma of this existential threat to our
country.

These
so-called "Gülenists" constitute a typical case of radicalization by
a cult of personality.

They believe
that Gülen is the "Messiah" and that they are the "golden generation". Their loyalty
is to him only. They violate legal, religious or ethical codes in order to
advance the interests of this group. They also excelled in concealing their
affiliation with him, so that they can penetrate all circles without raising
suspicion. In other words, FETO (Fetullah Gülen Terrorist Organization) is a
new generation terrorist organization that is based on hypocrisy, concealment
and secrecy.

As
a matter of fact, the Turkish Government had already taken action against this
mafia-like cultish organization and its financial resources before July 15. A
series of administrative and judicial investigations into the criminal aspects
of the organization, including their large-scale cheatings at the admission
tests for public institutions, illegal wiretappings, money laundering
operations, and many others.

In
short, FETO was about to lose its power in Turkey. Attempting to capture the
state by their disciples disguised as army officers was their last chance to
survive. Hence, we were able to identify the perpetrator as FETO even on July
15 night.

Now,
after a year of extensive administrative, criminal and judicial investigations
we think we have a better grasp of what happened on July 15 and the perpetrator
that was behind it. There are 78 ongoing court cases in 23 different provinces
with regard to the perpetrators.

Prosecutors
have gathered crucial evidence pointing to the unmistakable imprint of FETO
behind the coup attempt.

For
example, a number of FETO-affiliated civilians were present and they were
giving orders to high-ranking officers in the Akıncılar Air Force Base, the
center of operations of the coup plot. Moreover, there are testimonies from
thousands of officers confessing their affiliation with FETO, video recordings
and communications between the putschists, etc.

The
Turkish authorities have also managed to decode encrypted
communication systems such as “Bylock”, used only by FETO members. Actually,
that was the biggest breakthrough enabling the police to better identify FETO
members who have infiltrated the state institutions and to illuminate their
illegal activities.

As part of legal investigations about 168 000 suspects
have been investigated so far. About 50 000 of those investigated have been
detained. More than 100 000 public employees have been laid off due to their
FETO links.

Domestic
administrative and judicial systems have been created to review measures for
those who claim they have been wrongfully accused.

To
date, over 300 institutions that were shut down have been reopened. More than
30 thousand public employees have been reinstated through administrative boards
of review.

State of
Emergency, which was declared immediately after the foiled terrorist coup attempt and extended until mid-July 2017 in full
conformity with our national legislation and international obligations, was
necessary to make the state organs act
swiftly and effectively. It is not intended to intervene the daily lives of our
citizens.

As
acknowledged by the international human right mechanisms, in the course of the
attempted coup very serious crimes amounting to massive human rights violations
have been committed by the plotters. These crimes should be punished.

Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
further confirmed that Turkish state has the right and duty to take necessary
measures to confront the threats against the state and the people.

Taking
also into consideration the recommendations of the Council of Europe, an
Inquiry Commission has been established to address the measures taken through
Emergency decrees. With the establishment of the Inquiry Commission, the most
important recommendation of the Council of Europe was fulfilled. This decision
was announced by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe as a
significant step forward, along with all other existing national remedies. The
Inquiry Commission has also been recognized by the European Court of Human
Rights as a domestic legal remedy.

In
conclusion, we commemorate the martyrs who lost their lives while heroically
defending democracy and future of their country. We also express our deepest
gratitude to our veterans.

Thank
you very much.