'Turkey’s stance toward coup bid sets example to world'

By Sahin Oktay, Nurgul Temiz

KOCAELI, Turkey (AA) - The Turkish nation’s courageous stance during the July 15 coup attempt last year is an example to the world, Ena Kazic from the International University of Sarajevo said Friday at the Kartepe Summit.

Kazic, who made the comment during her speech titled ‘Contribution of Criminal Law in Preservation of Democracy’, was among several speakers featured on the second day of the summit, titled ‘International Symposium on July 15 and Coups D'etat - Global Impacts, Media and Democracy’.

It is being hosted by the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and Anadolu Agency is the summit’s global communication partner.

Another speaker, Activist Dr. Moustafa El-Guindy, said the Turkish nation and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met at a mutual point and protected their country, defeating the coup plotters.

He also highlighted that Turkey has become a great power through its economic recovery. When Erdogan came to power between 2002 and 2012, Turkey’s economy experienced 3.6% annual growth -- more than any other developing country, he said.

“The AK [Justice and Development] Party led Turkey on a new route and successively recorded economic recoveries which made Turkey stronger and has been beneficial for the Middle East,” Guindy said in his speech titled ‘July 15 Events, Processes, Heroes and Political Consequences’.

Speaking at the third panel, Asst. Prof. Admir Mulaosmanovic from the International University of Sarajevo compared the Bosnian War and the defeated coup attempt of July 15 and said that one phone call changed the course of history in the two incidents.

During the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Erdogan, appeared live on CNN Turk via FaceTime on the presenter’s cell phone, saying the coup “will be overcome” and called on people to protest.

The coup attempt was defeated by a comprehensive resistance by the Turkish people, who took to the streets following the call by Erdogan.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which was declared a terrorist group in 2013, and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Speaking during the International System and Coup session, Selcuk University Asst. Prof. Erdem Ozluk said the name ‘FETO’ needs to be changed to the ‘Fetullah Armed Terrorist Organization (FESTO)’ since they became armed terrorists in 2016.

Asst. Prof. Enes Bayrakli from the Turkish- German University, who spoke during the Coup D'etat in Turkey and July 15 session, said Germany’s FETO policy will have negative consequences for Turkey.

Reminding that Germany was late to react after the defeated coup attempt, he said:

“FETO has recently made Germany into an epicenter,” adding that currently, there are thousands of FETO members in Germany who fled Turkey.

Prof. Dr. Miguel Barrientos of Eastern Connecticut State University informed the summit attendants about coups in Latin America in his speech titled ‘Coups D’états, Democracy in Latin America and its Challenges’.

The symposium is organized in partnership with Turkey's state broadcaster TRT, Kocaeli University, Istanbul University, Sakarya University, Yildirim Beyazit University and International Sarajevo University as well as the Turkish Prime Ministry Coordinating Office of Public Diplomacy and Turkish-Arab Institute for Strategic Studies.

The international summit takes place in Kocaeli's Kartepe district every September or October to discuss the social and political issues concerning Turkey and the world.