Here’s How Political Parties In Turkey United Against The 2016 Coup
Turkish politicians from across the opposition and the government frequently disagree over matters of ideology and policy. But when it comes to their country's future, they manage to stand together. July 15 was an example of that.
Turkish MPs from across the political spectrum maintained a united front against the attempted coup as parliament was bombed. (TRT World and Agencies)
When it became clear that a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces was staging an insurrection to overthrow the government last year on July 15, Assembly Chairman Ismail Kahraman called on all deputies to meet in protest, confront the danger, and defend democracy.
Heading Kahraman’s call, more than a hundred deputies from the governing AK Party, CHP and MHP urgently met in the parliament as a symbol of standing together for Turkey’s future.
They condemned the attempt and conveyed that they would remain defiant in solidarity against the military takeover.
Here are some of their statements:
Bekir Bozdag, AK Party (Justice and Development Party)
Bekir Bozdağ, MP and Justice Minister, refused to interrupt his speech and abandon the chamber even under bombardment. (Open Source)
Parliament has to go on. If we shut parliament down and go to the shelters while the people are risking their lives in public squares, they will say that parliament was afraid of the putschists. We should be ready to die here. Whoever wants to go can go; they will stand before our nation and be judged. No matter what they do, we will be here. We will hold the plotters to account and we will bring them to trial.
Özgür Özel, CHP (Republican People’s Party)
Ozgur Ozel, MP and Parliamentary Group Leader for the CHP (Open Source)
As the CHP we have been contesting elections for 93 or 94 years. We may win at times and lose at other times, but we have never capitulated to military takeovers. We came out of the last elections as the main opposition party. Depending on whether our electoral fortunes change through democratic means, we may either be in opposition or enter into government. We are the main opposition party in this parliament, and we will comply all the way with parliamentary democracy.
Erkan Akcay, MP and Parliamentary Group Leader for the MHP (Open Source)
This July 15 will go down as a day of disgrace in the democratic history of Turkey. This attempt will the thwarted by the strong will of the Turkish people and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). No adventures will be tolerated, and this coup attempt will never achieve success.
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