Ambassador of Türkiye to Qatar H E Dr. Mustafa Göksu talking to media on the anniversary of the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt. The relatives of martyrs of failed coup are also seen in the picture. PIC: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil
Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the State of Qatar, H E Dr. Mustafa Göksu, has said Turkish nation overcame the crisis in hours and “this is a victory for democracy”.
On the anniversary of the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt, the Ambassador said that Türkiye is busy building its future and it reinforced the prestige of the state and gained the respect of the international community.
Talking to media persons on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of the Democracy and National Unity Day on July 15, the Ambassador stressed that the coup attempt was targeting the Turkish people, democratic gains and their capabilities, and that the terrorist organisation (FETO) tried to overthrow the legitimate government of the Turkish state on July 15, 2016; however, their plan failed thanks to the vigilance of the Turkish people.
He added that after Türkiye “nipped the strife in the bud”, it was able to rebuild the state’s apparatus to ensure that this crisis would not be repeated, so that Türkiye to remain a country enjoying democracy and peaceful transfer of power through elections and ballot boxes and not ammunition boxes.
Ambassador Göksu stressed that his country has not and will not forget the stand of the brothers in Qatar with Türkiye and Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was the first leader to condemn the coup among world leaders.
He also valued Qatar’s supportive and solidarity stance with his country, and its condemnation and denunciation of the failed coup attempt that took place in Türkiye six years ago.
“In every situation and occasion, Türkiye has always praised the position of the State of Qatar, which was one of the first countries to announce its solidarity with the constitutional legitimacy of the Republic of Türkiye and rejected the coup attempt that took place.”
He described the Qatari-Turkish relations as ‘distinctive’ saying, “There is great cooperation between the two countries in various fields, and we will not forget the Qatari stance in support of constitutional legitimacy in Türkiye.”
Ambassador Göksu said that “the most dangerous thing represented by this failed coup attempt is its targeting, not only to the political leadership, but also to the state and its institutions.”
He explained that a number of elements who are the disciples of terrorist organisation known as ‘FETO’ tried to infiltrate the security and military services, but they failed miserably.
In this context, he added, “Due to the blessing of Allah, and then to our people and their elected political leadership, headed by President
H E Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as the leaders of our security and military services, they were able to surpass the shock in a few hours, where they turned the crisis into an opportunity to clean the state apparatus from the elements of this heinous terrorist organisation, and to ensure that this horrific event does not happen again; and Inshallah, July 15, 2016 will be the last coup in Türkiye.”
Ambassador Mustafa Göksu stressed that the Turkish people stood up against the coup, and also the opposition parties stood with the political leadership in the face of the putschists who bombed with warplanes the headquarters of the parliament.
He added, “One of the most important outcomes of this failed coup attempt was the formulation of a national consensus on restoring our democratic system.
Despite the sharp divergence in political positions, everyone agrees that the solution is in the ballot box.”
“Therefore, the Turkish people went on their path of changing the political environment, and held a referendum in 2017, which resulted in the majority of the people favouring the presidential system instead of the parliamentary system. This transition took place smoothly and Türkiye is now strong in its political structure.”
He said that Türkiye is busy in building its future. “We do not allow anyone to underestimate the sacrifices of our people. The putschists killed more than 250 of our citizens, and injured more than 1,500. This was the bloodiest coup attempt of our time.
Despite all this, the Turkish state tries all those who committed these crimes before the judiciary so that they will be brought to justice.”
“The truth is that Türkiye is busy today more than ever in building its future, as it reinforced the prestige of the state internally and gained the respect of the international community when it triumphed over democracy and the civil state.”
The Ambassador noted, “A strong Türkiye means ensuring peace, sustainable development and a driving force for all the region. In 2023, we will proudly celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye and the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
“This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Turkish-Qatari relations, and we are in the process of organising many events in this regard.”
“Achieving the tangible goals that were set under the leadership of President H E Erdogan of the Republic will not only raise the levels of peace and prosperity in the country, but will at the same time enhance the contributions that Türkiye makes to its region and to the world. Türkiye’s proactive and humanitarian foreign policy ensures our national interests while at the same time contributing to the common goals of humanity.”
Talking on Turkish-Gulf rapprochement, he said that on April 28, and upon the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia, and met King Salman and the Crown Prince, in the first visit in years, which was an indication of the common will to start a new phase of cooperation between the two brotherly countries.
The Turkish President's visit to the UAE, in February 2022, also came as part of the transformation path in Turkish foreign policy towards regional powers with which it had been at odds for years.
During which several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the two sides, representing a prelude to a new and different phase in the relations of the two countries, as well as in his country's relations with the Gulf states.
