Turkish Parliament Debates FETÖ's 'Political Wing' Amid Coup Anniversary

On the anniversary of the 2016 coup attempt, Turkish lawmakers engaged in a heated debate regarding the "political wing" of the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).

Selçuk Özdağ, Deputy Chairman of the YENİ YOL Group, emphasized that coups undermine democracy and the rule of law. He cautioned against using the fear of coups to enact anti-democratic laws and stressed that strengthening justice and freedom is the most effective way to oppose them. Özdağ criticized the current government, suggesting that certain groups and foundations are being empowered to secure votes, a practice he believes ignores the lessons of July 15th. He warned that entities grown with public power often seek to seize state control.

"It is wrong to use the coup as an elevator. A coup is lawlessness, and it should not be used to commit other forms of lawlessness. Opposing a coup does not grant the right to condone all forms of lawlessness. Lawlessness breeds counter-lawlessness," Özdağ stated, arguing that the coup attempt itself has been manipulated to reshape politics.

Uğur Poyraz, Deputy Chairman of the İYİ Party Group, asserted that the perpetrators of the July 15th coup attempt are known. However, he pointed to the "political will" within the current government as the obstacle, claiming they either failed to see or chose to ignore the organization's structure within state institutions. Poyraz questioned why officials readily appeared before the "Committee for a Turkey Without Terror" but not the "July 15th Research Commission," and why the latter's findings remain unpublished.

Poyraz drew parallels between FETÖ and the PKK, identifying both as terrorist organizations. He questioned the government's focus, asking, "If a plasterer or painter in Anatolia turned out to be FETÖ, but there were no MPs or ministers?" This rhetorical question implies a selective prosecution that avoids holding high-ranking political figures accountable.