CHP Leader Criticizes Lack of Accountability for Coup's 'Political Wing'

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has voiced strong criticism regarding the perceived lack of progress in identifying the "political wing" of the 2016 coup attempt, marking the 10th anniversary of the event. Speaking to reporters at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Özel emphasized that despite a decade passing, this crucial aspect remains unaddressed.

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Ten years ago, a coup was attempted against this parliament, the will of this parliament, and the will of this nation. You are all witnesses, this parliament was closed that day. I am one of the lawmakers who proposed opening this parliament, proposed convening this parliament, and resisted the coup until morning with the lawmakers who could reach parliament after it opened, and was targeted and bombed because we opened the closed parliament.

Özel recounted his personal experience as a lawmaker present in parliament during the coup attempt. He described being among those who advocated for the parliament's immediate reconvening and resisted the efforts to keep it closed. He stated that he was targeted and subjected to bombing because of his role in ensuring the parliament remained open. "I am one of the lawmakers who was targeted and bombed because we opened the closed parliament," he said, reaffirming his stance that it was a "bloody coup, not a theater."

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I am the lawmaker who owned the idea of opening the parliament that day. I am the person who called our AK Party counterparts and executives, saying 'This is a coup against democracy, we are behind the elected officials. Let the parliament open, let's not surrender parliament.'

He contrasted the actions taken against the organizational structures of the Gülen movement (FETÖ) within the military, judiciary, police, and religious affairs directorate with the inaction concerning its political connections. "The formations of FETÖ in the military, judiciary, police, and Diyanet were addressed, but when it came to FETÖ's political wing, the work stopped," Özel asserted. He noted that investigations and writings concerning FETÖ's political ties from the past are only now emerging, with the current positions of those involved appearing "very significant."

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I am someone who said 'Not theater, but a coup, a bloody coup.' My opinion has not changed from that day to this. I have no inconsistencies. I am proud to have stood on the right side of history.

Özel recalled the atmosphere following the coup attempt, where there was a perceived shift towards valuing meritocracy over loyalty and a renewed appreciation for secularism and the separation of powers. He mentioned that even ruling AK Party provincial offices sought Atatürk posters from the CHP to display. However, he lamented that ten years later, these principles seem to have been abandoned, with the political accountability for the coup remaining elusive. He specifically pointed to the CHP's dissenting vote in the parliamentary inquiry commission, which raised questions about why certain figures, like then-Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar, did not testify, and why the then-head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Hakan Fidan, did not appear before the commission.

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The formations of FETÖ in the military, judiciary, police, and Diyanet were addressed, but when it came to FETÖ's political wing, the work stopped.