London event warns of FETO terror threat to democracy

An event in London Sunday marking the third anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey explored the events of that fateful night and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the bloody would-be putsch.

The event, organized by the Union of International Democrats, looked back on what happened on July 15, 2016, the perpetrators of the terrorist attack, and the brave people who stood up for Turkey and its democracy. The event exposed FETO’s true intentions and explicitly warned Europe and the world of the dangers of harboring a terrorist group the likes of FETO.

“Three years have passed the since the 15 July coup attempt carried out by the FETO terrorist organization” said Umut Yalcin, the Turkish ambassador to Britain.

The coup attempt was “planned by the FETO terrorist leadership and carried out by members of this heinous organization who infiltrated the army by disobeying the chain of command of the armed forces,” he said.

“This heinous act constitutes the deadliest terrorist attack that Turkey has ever experienced. We have never before witnessed such savagery and treachery in our history as was carried out by the perpetrators of this failed coup attempt,” he added.

Yalcin, who was Foreign Ministry undersecretary during the botched putsch, recalled how he had to explain to his 8-year-old son how the terrorists carrying out this harrowing act were not soldiers and did not represent the Turkish state, but were in fact traitors and enemies of the people.

-Terrorist FETO brainwashing

According to the ambassador, the defeated coup revealed the grave threat and danger posed by the FETO terrorist group to Turkey and its democratic institutions, and so understanding the dark underlying motives of this terrorist movement is essential. Yalcin explained how FETO uses the disguise of a foundation that builds schools and charities to promote and spread its ideology.

By posing as an organization that builds schools, charities, and foundations, FETO was able to brainwash, manipulate, and deceive many of its followers. However, following the defeated coup, it was revealed that these projects were merely a front to strengthen the terrorist group and raise funds to overthrow Turkey’s democratic government.

Zafer Sirakaya, an MP for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, reviewed Turkey’s historical relationship with six military coups, starting in 1960 with the overthrow and execution of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes to the so-called “post-modern” coup of 1997 that saw the resignation of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, and the most recent attempt in 2016.

“Military coups undermine democratic values and principles, they act as a barrier in the way of a nation’s path to progress and stability, and most importantly they greatly undermine the people’s trust in governmental institutions whose ultimate purpose is to serve those very same people” Sirakaya said.

“In Turkey we have experienced six major coup attempts, with four being successfully carried out. In these cases we see the three main factors of a democratic government; the legislature, judiciary, and executive lose their independence and thus their legitimacy in upholding the freedoms they grant to the people and this is what would’ve occurred had FETO been successful in their attempt,” he added.

-Democracy defeating terror

According to Sirakaya, the 2016 defeated coup strengthened and enhanced Turkish democracy. Turkey’s transition from a parliamentary republic to a presidential republic is one such example, as a presidential republic strengthens the nation’s institutions, provides stability to the legislature and executive, and prevents the government from being weakened, he said.

Sirakaya praised the Turkish government for defeating FETO within Turkey while maintaining its democratic institutions but warned the EU that “FETO exploits European political system to spread terror.”

The event also featured Abdurrahim Boynukalin, the AKP’s U.K. representative, and Enes Babacan, a witness of the resistance to the failed coup attempt.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.