What we encountered on July 15 was not the first nor last coup attempt. But it was one that opened the eyes of the majority that would persist until the notion “there won’t be any coups in this era" is actualized.
I say “the majority” because even in the face of a clear coup attempt, there have been those who could say that it was a theater, a set up. Yet, instead of defining the coup attempt simply as toppling the ruling government in non-political ways and it is possible to identify all efforts to use the tools obtained by means of replacing that government with another as a coup attempt.
We were tired of explaining that the Gezi Park events which took place before that was also a coup attempt. We physically saw how democracy’s most lefitimate rights demonstrate, protest and oppose were turned into a well-planned, systematic attempt to overthrow the government in abnormal ways.
As a matter of fact, right beside us in Egypt, a parallel process was taking place through the same scenarios, same discourses and symbols and it ended in the most inhuman and wildest coup of our age. The “very smart, very modern, very bright-idead, very humorous and cheerful youth” were accusing the country’s president, who was elected not even a year ago – “but was electrd” – of being overly authoritarian, almost claiming that he is a dictator and calling the people to revolt. Tahrir, which truly was the square of democracy and peace three years ago was now stolen by the coup and became a “platform” to trample all over the people’s will and to make those elected regret being elected and those chose him regret making any choice.
The coup is like the devil. We had said without hesitation before to those who accused us of being conspirators when we said, “Don’t think it always comes in one form,” that, “Yes, we consider those who say they see no conspiracy in all this only as co-conspirators.”
Of course those who joined the coup as walk-ons may not always be aware that they joined a coup. Thus, 90 percent of those in Egypt, who were deceived saying more freedom, started banging their heads on the wall, not long, only two months later, saying, “What did we do?”
How could those in the Gezi protests, who thought, with their heads in the clouds, they were using their right to protest, know in the heat of the moment, with the appeal of the communal practices that emerged, that they were part of a conspiracy?
What about those who showed up with their fury toward Muslim capitalism? You know, the ones who read and learned the Quran, who know and became aware of many things. Remember how they became blinded by their fearlessness that they couldn’t see what it meant to wage war against Muslim capitalism under the control of the world’s wildest financial capitalism and its Turkey leg? What kind of a war was that they suddenly became unaware of who they befriended and for what sake?
So, a coup is not possible in this age? This coup is disgusting enough to shortly put to shame all the good intentions you had about this age. If the Gezi Park events were not enough to open your eyes, what happened on Dec. 17-25, 2013 should have. An operation conducted by a structure that clearly has affiliation in the judiciary, police and media meant nothing but a coup, yet many did not identify it as coup. Because a coup is like the devil. It comes by bribing the groups that are likely to support it other than those who are directly involved in it.
That day, the opposition received its bribe for the coup as advantages it got against the government and took its place along the line of the coup. The secret organization it described for years as “F-type” and accused the government of overlooking it, saying that it was aware of it, had found its price and paid it. And it took the bait. It did not hesitate to cooperate with an organization it personally said for years was secret and that it knew it was dangerous.
So, a coup is possible in this age, isn’t it? Dec. 17-25 showed that it was perfectly possible for a coup to happen as long as thee is an opposition willing to accept the bribe presented by the coup plotters and cooperate with them.
The coup plotters did not waste time between Dec. 17-25 and July 15, 2016 either. They tried every way to impact Turkey by pushing the country to instability in terms of the economy or security. The period when the People’s Democracy Party (HDP) was supported by all opposition parties on June 7 was enough to show that the same coup plotting will was quite active.
July 15 turned into the most traditional style of coup left after trying all other present-day coup styles that could not be recognized as a coup at first glance, approaching from the right and left – like the devil. This was thew result of its desperation. All ways were tried, they all failed and the only way left was the most known but shortest. With this way, the coup character of all the other previous attempts had also gained certainty.
Now, there are those who say the coup era is completely over with the unquestionable victory won against the July 15 coup attempt. This conclusion is one that is reached a little too quickly. It is excessive optimism that fails to take into account human nature, human history and our social reality. As long as humans continue to have this greed, this determination for evil, the will to stage coups will never be gone. It just won’t be able to find enough space to stage a coup.
Recently, the likelihood of such a coup has been eliminated for Turkey. However, we must know now that the next coup of our time will come not from outside but from our midst. The Almighty God directly commands us to seek refuge in God Himself from the evil of our own self, the lack of quality of our actions. The greatest risk awaiting a community at the end of great victories is the exhileration of victory, arrogance and thinking that this victory their own achievement.
Yet, even this is a state of test and forgetting one’s roots, oath and the pacta sunt servanda is the biggest coup that humankind can stage against themselves.
Encountering such a coup is highly likely. Hence, let us pray, pondering, thinking, contemplating on it and questioning ourselves over and over again: We seek refuge in God from our own malice, the evil in our actions.
