LESSONS FROM TURKEY'S ATTEMPTED COUP

Pandemonium struck the city of Ankara, capital of Turkey on Friday night, 15th July; 2016 as a group of defiant soldiers besieged the seat of Turkish government and declared a takeover. In a statement after
the reported takeover, the group said the country was now to be run by a 'peace council'. They also declared a curfew and martial law. The rebel clique claimed the reason for the ousting of President Erdoğan led government was it's erosion of democracy and secular rule of law.

The acclaimed victory of the rebel group was however shortlived as military agents loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan soon swept in—with massive support from civilian protesters—and recovered the high-jacked government. Civilians were also reported to have taken to the streets following a plea by Mr Erdoğan urging them to take to the streets to oppose the uprising. Reports have it that some defiant soldiers were captured by the protesting civilian mob.

In the wake of the uprising, President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—who had just flown into Instabul from his recess at the resort of Marmaris—stated that the attempted coup was “treason” undertaken by “a minority within our armed forces”, insisting that those who go around driving in tanks will return to where they came from. The president assured Turks that he was still in charge, labelling the coup plotters "terrorists". He further accused US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen of masterminding the unscessful coup—in what many see as a familiar rhetoric and long-running rivalry between the two leaders.

In a statement in the early hours of Saturday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the situation was under control, and that the first stage of the coup had been averted. On his return to Instabul, President Erdoğan ordered the shooting of any aircraft flown by coup plotters around the capital city of Ankara. In a statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said the coup attempt "was foiled by the Turkish people in unity and solidarity. Our president and government are in charge".

The numbers of casualties resulting from the unsuccessful plot to unseat Turkey's president is massive and reports say, casualties are still on the rise as pro-coup fighters continue fighting. More than 190 people have been killed, according to General Umit Dundar, the acting chief of the general staff, including 41
police officers, two soldiers, 47 civilians and 104 people described as “coup plotters”. A further 1,440 people have been wounded.

The call by Erdoğan for civilians to take to the streets in defence of his government may have triggered high level civilian deaths as civilians were seen moving in mobs alongside tanks. Sixteen people involved in the attempted coup were killed in clashes at military police command, and 250 others arrested. Separately, 13 soldiers who tried to storm the presidential palace in Ankara have been arrested. In total, 2,839 members of the armed forces have been arrested, among them 29 colonels and five generals. Rear Admiral Nejat Atilla Demirhan and General Memduh Hakbilen, the chief of staff of Turkey’s command for the Aegean region, are said to be among those detained.

What do we learn from all of these?

First is the ill of authoritative rule. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is widely alleged to be very authoritative in governance and in fact, is believed to be one of—if mot—the most divisive leaders in the history of modern Turkey.Turkish journalists have been investigated and put on trial; foreign journalists have been harassed and deported. Last month, police raided Turkey's biggest newspaper, Zaman. Its staff emerged bloodied and cowed. Zaman's last independent edition said Turkey's press had seen one of its "darkest days". Its first edition under state control carried unabashedly pro-government articles.
Erdoğan is also accused of using the judiciary against opponents.

Second is the bane of Religious extremism. President Erdoğan is clearly a religious fanatic. Although he denies that, his history and actions often-time, affirm his extremism. Erdoğan has always been active in Islamic circles and was a member of Necmettin Erbakan's Welfare Party between the 1970s to, 1980s. His fanaticism is further,exuded in his four-month jail sentence for inciting religious hatred following his rendition of a religious inflammatory poem in 1998. His party Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) is deeply rooted in Islam just like co-founder and ally, Abdullah Gul.

In October 2013 Turkey lifted rules
banning women from wearing
headscarves in the country's state
institutions—with the exception of
the judiciary, military and police—ending a decades-old restriction. Erdoğan also hoisted an unsuccessful bid to criminalise adultery, as well as attempts to introduce "alcohol-free zones." The president also nurses a long standing feud with arguably Turkey's second most powerful man, Fethullah Gülen—leader of a widely followed secularist movement— suggesting his religious stance. His religious strides earned him the cognomen "Sultan" —retractable to the Ottoman empire—by AKP's traditional heartland, Anatolia.

Another lesson to be learnt from Turkey's attempted coup is the disesteem placed on civilian lives by president Erdoğan. A popular cliché states that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. There is probably no better way to describe the plight of Turkish citizens right now than a grass being trodden upon by two big elephants. In a bid to avert the attempted coup, Mr Erdoğan had urged Turks to take to the streets in defense of his government. Well, that statement may have sounded normal to you until I remind you that the 'streets' the people were to take over were full of tanks and pro-coup fighters. I'm sure Mr President did not think of this before plunging innocent civilians into the war front.

Turkey's attempted coup is certainly not cheering news for lovers of democracy. It takes Turkey back to the dark ages of military rule and tyranny. However, what doing is worth doing well. Democracy served in a plate of authoritarianism is worthless. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan must shun all implied and direct authoritarian acts in governance. Also he must abide by the secularism that governs the country and shelve plans to drag the Nation into the mulky waters of religion. The president must also understand and indeed, exude respect for the life of citizens as one of his major responsibilities. In the same vein, leaders who share in the same maladive characteristics as Erdoğan should begin to have a second thought. It is Turkey today; it could be you tomorrow. He that has an ear, let him hear.

©2016 CHIDUBEM N.J for TWM.