Our directorate held a panel titled "July 15: Türkiye’s Victory of Democracy" in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun sent a video message to the panel, which was moderated by Prof. Enes Bayraklı, Faculty Member from the Turkish-German University, and featured panellists Prof.Yusuf Özkır, AA Board Member and Faculty Member from Istanbul Medipol University, Patrick Van Den Eede, Founding President of the Brussels-based non-governmental organisation The Soul of Europe, and Polish journalist Michal Karnowski.
Özkır stated that he found it very valuable that the Presidency's Directorate of Communications organised such events in various capitals and said that Türkiye's fight against terrorist organisations such as PKK/YPG as well as FETO continued with resolve.
Stating that the July 15 coup attempt should be examined in several dimensions, Özkır emphasised that one of them was the issue of "putschism" and that it constituted a serious problem for modern democracies. Noting that coups were a problem not only in Türkiye, but throughout the world, from Europe to the Middle East, Africa to Latin America, Özkır recalled periods of military rule in European countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal.
Prof. Özkır said, "It would be misleading to view the July 15 coup attempt as only a problem of Türkiye. This is a global problem. It can happen in other countries as well. The important thing is to be able to reject such initiatives that go against the will of societies."
"FETO had been declared a terrorist organisation before July 15th"
Emphasising that FETO was declared a terrorist organisation by the National Security Council before July 15, 2016, Özkır said that in the previous two years, this organisation was first listed as an illegal structure and then a "parallel state structure".
Özkır recalled that FETO was not limited to Türkiye but that the activities of this structure continued in many countries under the guise of think tanks, non-governmental organisations and humanitarian aid efforts.
Underlining the "advocacy of the national will", Özkır recalled that there was an orientalist approach in non-Western societies and said, "There was a prejudice that the society would vote but remain indifferent in the case of a threat to the elected. In Türkiye, this prejudice was thrown away on July 15."
Yusuf Özkır expressed that Western democracies should support the legitimate government in Türkiye with very clear expressions, that they were late in doing so, and that it was regrettable that Western administrators did not engage in self-criticism in this regard.
Stating that the Western media did not even publish the striking images that emerged on the night of July 15 and that this was a weakness in terms of media ethics, Özkır said, "Even if they write these stories today, they will still get a response. And due to lack of self-criticism, this weakness remains.”
Özkır drew attention to the fact that FETO lost its sociological footing in Türkiye, but its members continued their manipulations in the countries they fled to.
Stating, "This is an issue for Türkiye, but Türkiye's friends and allies should not forget that this is an issue for them as well," Özkır emphasised that countries other than Türkiye should also attach sufficient importance to the FETO issue and consider Türkiye's extradition requests for a fair trial.
Prof. Özkır said, "Other countries should stand by Türkiye's current legitimate administration,"
"The organisation continues its activities in other countries"
Patrick Van Den Eede, Founding President of "The Soul of Europe", said that he was in Izmir with his family on the night of the July 15 coup attempt and that they realised that that night was a dangerous moment in Izmir, where they lived for 9 years.
Stating that he was fighting for democracy and that was why he should take part in today's panel, Van Den Eede said, "Europe must understand what and how we can improve and work for a safer future for all."
Recalling that Türkiye had been the target of a coup attempt and acts of terrorism, Van Den Eede said:
"On July 15, Türkiye experienced a military coup attempt that caused serious consequences, which we still remember and strongly condemn today. The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and took steps against those involved in the coup. I appreciate the Turkish government's thwarting of this coup attempt. The diplomatic response to the fight against terrorism and the coup attempt should include a multidimensional approach that embraces democratic values and ensures security and stability. Van Den Eede said, "Türkiye was subjected to terrorist attacks not only from within but also from outside. The organisation responsible for the July 15 coup attempt also had activities in other countries, which are still ongoing. This organisation carried out brutal attacks on security forces and civilians aimed at destabilising the country, resulting in many casualties and social tensions."
"The impacts of the coup attempt are not well known."
Polish journalist Karnowski stressed that the impacts of the coup attempt are not well known in many European countries.
Stating that it was not even known how many people lost their lives, Karnowski said that he remembered that night, and they prayed for Türkiye to continue as a democratic country.
Karnowski also gave information about Türkiye-Poland relations and recalled the war in Ukraine, emphasising the importance of the two democratic countries for European security and stability.
