KUWAIT
The Kuwait-based Forum of Muslim Thinkers has issued a statement condemning the July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey and hailing Turkey’s political and economic progress in recent years.
"Turkey has achieved sustained growth, political stability, comprehensive development and social justice, which everybody enjoys," the forum said.
Turkey, it added, also enjoys "a state of security, media openness and good relations with its Arab and Muslim neighbors, standing alongside those who look forward to freedom and dignity while also supporting [humanitarian] relief efforts".
"Nevertheless, the world was surprised by a military coup attempt led by a group involved in an international conspiracy that targeted Turkey and the entire region with the aim of triggering armed conflict and anarchy," the forum said.
"Were it not for Allah’s blessing and the Turkish people’s awareness and resistance against the coup project, Turkey would now be living in a state of regression, ruination and destruction," it added.
"The Turkish people and their political leadership, however, were able to overcome the coup attempt, while all parties -- including the political opposition -- took a united stance against the putsch," it added.
"It is the Muslim nation’s duty to support Turkey until it passes through this dangerous phase, as the international parties who promoted the coup will continue to try to take Turkey off its path and hinder its honorable support for Muslim causes," the forum said.
Turkish government accuses U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen of masterminding failed July 15 coup in Turkey.
Gulen’s followers have been accused of attempting to infiltrate Turkey’s vital state institutions -- especially the military, police apparatus and judiciary -- with the aim of creating a "parallel state".
At least 230 people, including civilians and security personnel, were martyred -- and nearly 2,200 injured -- during the illegal putsch attempt.
The Forum of Muslim Thinkers, for its part, expressed its "total condemnation" of the July 15 coup attempt, stressing the following:
1. "A safe, stable, progressive and powerful Turkey is a great benefit for the Turkish people and the entire Muslim nation."
2. "Military coups against the will of the people will push the region into more bloodshed, the collapse of the state and society, the dissolution of the Muslim nation and the ultimate humiliation of its peoples."
3. "Winning the hearts and minds of the people is the main guarantor of security, stability, the defense of public rights, freedoms and democracy, as they [the people] participate in the decision-making process."
4. "Tyrannical military rule represents a fertile environment for extremism and violence."
5. "The Forum of Muslim Thinkers plans to hold its annual conference in Turkey under the banner: ‘Arab-Turkish relations: Towards effective civilized communication and continuous joint work’."
The Forum went on to call on "the elites of the Muslim nation" to support the conference so that it might be "of maximum benefit to the Turkish people".
It added: "The Forum underlines its respect for the Turkish people and their defense -- in the streets and public squares -- of their free choices, and the renaissance that Turkey has enjoyed for more than a decade, thereby setting an example of awareness, rationality, patriotism and loyalty to the homeland."
The Forum also called on Arab and Muslim governments and "active powers in the Muslim world" to stand alongside the Turkish people and government "to expose the conspiracy against their stability and unity".
"May Allah protect Turkey from all machinations and evils and sustain its security, stability and prosperity," the statement concluded.
Statement signatories included:
1. Forum Secretary-General Abdurahman al-Jumayaan, writer and researcher
2. Forum member Saad Eddine al-Othmani, former Moroccan foreign minister
3. Forum member Manif al-Twalah, secretary-general of the Global Islamic Council
4. Forum member Akram Hijazi, researcher of Islamic thought
5. Forum member Prof. Abu Yaarub al-Marzouki, researcher of philosophy and Islamic thought
6. Forum member Mohamed al-Adil, head of the Ankara-based Arab-Turkish institute for Strategic Studies
7. Forum member Mohamed al-Mukhtar al-Shinqiti, Qatar University instructor and researcher of Islamic thought
8. Forum member Rabie al-Hafidh, researcher of Turkish strategic relations and Ottoman studies
9. Forum member Hashem Mohamed al-Awadi, head of Qatar’s Salam magazine
According to its website, the Forum of Muslim Thinkers was established with the aim of "strengthening and renewing Muslim thought throughout the Muslim world".
