20.07.2016 Ankara
538 syndicates, confederations, profession organizations and civil society organizations issued a joint statement during TGNA Speaker İsmail Kahraman’s reception.
Reading the joint statement, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that the National Assembly has been the target of a heinous attack on
democracy on Friday, July 15th.
The statement read by Hisarcıklıoğlu is as follows:
“Today, we are at the Turkish Grand National Assembly as the 538
prominent syndicates, confederations, professional and civil society
organizations of our country.
The National Assembly was the target of a heinous attack on Friday.
Traitors bombed it for the first time in history. The National Assembly
resisted heroically, earning its title of ‘Veteran’ once again.
It is clear that without democracy and the rule of law, there can be no
civil society organizations. We, who have convened here today, see no
alternative to democracy for the future of our country.
The defiance of our people from the night of Friday to the first light
of day has given us all hope for the future of our country. All democratic
institutions of our country and our people rose to protect our democracy in the
face of this heinous attack.
The media resisted armed takeovers, putting their lives of the line in
order to preserve the right of our nation to news.
The President of the Republic of Turkey, the National Assembly Speaker
and Prime Minister as well as all political parties stood tall and foiled the
plans of the putschists.
Our people, while tanks were running over cars and people in the
streets, while bombs rained from the sky, while under fire, filled the squares,
putting forth their determination and will for democracy.
Heroic law enforcement officers and honorable Turkish soldiers stayed
true to their vows to prevent the success of the coup, endangering their lives.
They caught the perpetrators red-handed.
Turkey acted as it should as a whole. Our democracy passed an exam of
maturity.
Turkish democracy and the institutions of the Turkish Republic proved
that they are strong enough to never again yield to brute force.
Those who made an attempt at the political and economic gains of our
country in the last 93 years have failed.
We, prominent civil society organizations, are grateful that the dark
hours of Friday night were overcome through unity and solidarity.
Today, we are here at the Veteran National Assembly to urge that the
democratic understanding reached in Friday continue.
Going forward, we should never forget the understanding we’ve reached
today. Common cause should reign.
This coup attempt which disregarded the fact that sovereignty is derived
solely from the will of the people has shown that the institutional
infrastructure of our country must be strengthened.
The place where these precautions will take place and will be put into
effect will the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
The traitors must be judged according to the letter of the law and be
brought to account in front of Turkish justice.
At the same time, the precautions necessary to prevent such heinous
attacks should be put into effect.
We must not harm our heroic army and patriotic soldiers in any way.
We, the representatives of 538 syndicates, confederations, professional
and civil society organizations of our country, have come to our great National
Assembly to fulfill our duty to democracy.
We are preserving the national will.
It is all of our duty to leave behind a stronger, more peaceful, more
prosperous and more democratic country for the future and our children. That is
why we must all focus on our work.”