Ekip
23 July 2016•Update: 23 July 2016
By Ahmed Ali
ISTANBUL
Prominent Egyptian writer Fahmy Howeidy has defended a decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to impose a three-month state of emergency followed by a failed coup attempt.
In exclusive statements to Anadolu Agency by phone, Howeidy said the state of emergency will help fully restore security to the country.
"The security situation is currently 95% stable,” Howeidy said.
“The decision by the Turkish leadership to impose a state of emergency will contribute in securing the situation,” he added.
Last week, rogue elements of the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country's democratically-elected government, killing at least 246 people and injuring more than 2,100 others.
The government said the attempted coup was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating into Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming a ‘parallel state’.
On Wednesday, Erdogan announced a state of emergency, reassuring the public that the process of normalization in the country would be expedited with the three-month state of emergency.
Howeidy said that declaring a state of emergency in Turkey was “understood”.
“It’s limited and is totally different from martial laws,” he said. The prominent Egyptian writer went on to set two conditions for ensuring the effectiveness of the state of emergency.
“The state of emergency must be declared within a set period, something which has been done,” Howeidy said.
“The outcome of investigations [into the coup bid] must also be declared to the public opinion,” he added.
Howeidy said that “The Turkish public opinion needs evidence all those arrested have been involved in the coup attempt.”
Without elaborating, Howeidy said that many are standing up against the current Turkish leadership.
The prominent writer played down speculations by British journalist Robert Fisk, who predicted another coup attempt in Turkey in a few months.
“I don’t take this seriously as Fisk’s stances and sympathy with the Syrian regime cast a pale on his expectations,” he said.
