AfSV Statement on the Third Anniversary of July 15 Failed Coup Attempt
July 15, 2019 – It’s been three years since the July 15 failed coup attempt that was used to justify President Erdogan’s power grab and Turkey’s slide into deeper authoritarianism. Erdogan has staged a witch hunt against tens of thousands of innocent people based on a textbook example of guilt by association. He not only went after soldiers, judges, and police officers but also targeted teachers, doctors, and even housewives. The collective punishment of over half a million Turkish citizens continues while the Erdogan government is not doing anything to bring out the truth about what really happened on July 15th, because truth doesn’t serve their agenda. We note that when facts are revealed, July 15 will go down in history as the greatest theater of the 21stcentury in which 240 citizens died tragically and needlessly.
President Erdogan is now using extraordinary powers that have been introduced during a state of emergency and then legitimized through a new constitution to continue to subject Turkish citizens to inhumane treatment. We repeat our call for an investigation into the events of July 15 by an independent international committee. We also urge the international community to pressure the Erdogan regime to stop its human rights violations, stop using the judiciary as a punitive instrument and release tens of thousands of prisoners of conscience. We pray that Turkey may return to its journey toward democracy and that the Turkish people will no longer live under fear that they may be the next target of their state.
About Alliance for Shared Values
The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for cultural organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. The Alliance strives to promote peace and social harmony by helping reduce misinformation and false stereotypes about any or all ethnic, cultural and religious communities. To learn more about the Alliance, please visit www.afsv.org.
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