In a statement he shared on his social media account, Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun emphasised that the September 12 coup was a dark stain on Türkiye's history.
Stating that the 1980 coup brought about oppressive social and political engineering practices, resulting in Türkiye having to grapple with deep crises, Director of Communications Altun pointed out that the constitution and many legislative regulations that were hastily put into effect after the coup inflicted damage that was extremely difficult for Türkiye to repair.
Director of Communications Altun noted:
"Such unlawful practices, which caused Türkiye to be almost isolated from the international community, both damaged our country's reputation and delayed it for many years from having an influence in world politics. With the September 12 coup, Türkiye was once again compelled to struggle with its own internal problems and attempted to be forced into dependency on foreign countries in many areas. Efforts to design Türkiye's economy, political institutions, cultural and artistic life, press and media environment in favour of the Western tutelage system via the coup have been at the root of the problems we have been experiencing in areas such as education, healthcare, industry, economy and foreign policy for many years. The externally directed September 12 coup was brought to life with the help of a media that received instructions from abroad, and attempts were made to conceal its crimes."
Director of Communications Altun stated that local and national institutions and organisations, which have grown in strength within mainstream media over the last 21 years, support the national will against tutelage.
Citing the media's attitude during the July 15 coup-like invasion attempt as the most concrete example, Director of Communications Altun made the following assessments:
"On July 15, we witnessed the Turkish nation say 'stop' to the coup plotters both on the streets and in the buildings of newspapers and television stations, thereby preventing the coup plotters' heinous invasion operation and the psychological operations they intended to carry out through the media on public perception. The Century of Türkiye requires a democratic, civil, and emancipatory constitution, drafted not with bayonets but with the blessed will of the beloved Turkish nation, and encompassing all segments of society. Providing our country with such a constitution is the most significant and correct step we can take to erase the traces left in our memory by the coups and subsequent suffering."
Noting that the greatest desire of Türkiye, which has paid a high price in this regard, is a constitution that will establish Türkiye's social, economic, and political stability, guarantee individual rights and freedoms, and reinforce the rule of law, pluralism, and democracy, Director of Communications Altun continued:
"Hopefully, our nation shall erase all traces of the mindset associated with coups, just as it has consigned the era of coups to the annals of history. We believe this wholeheartedly and are working diligently in this direction under the leadership of our President.
With this diligence, we implemented the '2023 Constitution to Replace 1982 Constitution Symposium,' which we organised today at the Ulucanlar Prison Museum in conjunction with the Presidency's Directorate of Communications and the Presidential Legal Policies Board. I would like to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the architect of the Century of Türkiye, for honouring our symposium and all the attendants."