03 August 2016•Update: 03 August 2016
ANKARA
Turkish presidential spokesman has said there is an emerging societal and political consensus in Turkey in the aftermath of the deadly July 15 coup attempt.
In his regular column published by the English-language newspaper Daily Sabah on Wednesday, Ibrahim Kalin said the Fetullah Terrorist Organization's (FETO) July 15 coup attempt was "a dark night in Turkey's history".
"The brave resistance and sacrifice of the Turkish people from all walks of life, however, turned it into a bright day," Kalin said, adding that nationwide consensus on the thwarted coup and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization's role in it resulted in strength and resilience for Turkish democracy.
"The consensus is about defending democracy, freedom and the rule of law against all internal and external threats.
[...] Millions of people from different social backgrounds and political circles took to the streets to stop the Gulenist coup attempt. All political parties took a principled stance," Kalin said.
He said "it would be a huge mistake for the U.S. and Europe to miss out and disregard this consensus."
"Most people in Turkey have the impression that the U.S. is harboring Gulen by letting him abuse the American legal system to his advantage."
Kalin said Turkey was confident that the U.S. government would collaborate with Ankara on Gulen's extradition.
"Gulen is a national security threat to Turkey and a dangerous criminal for the U.S." he said.
The presidential aide also argued that most Europeans and Americans seem to fail to fully grasp the magnitude and severity of what happened on July 15 and how people bravely fought against the putsch.
"Western countries condemn the coup but refrain from saying anything about the putschists. It is a shame that no EU head of state, minister or high-ranking official has yet to visit Turkey since July 15," he added.
Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly coup attempt, which martyred at least 238 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, was organized by the followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.
Gulen is also accused of implementing a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.
The full article can be seen at www.dailysabah.com/columns/ibrahim-kalin/2016/08/03/new-political-consensus-after-coup-in-turkey
