The history of the Republic of Türkiye is marked by numerous military interventions. The country has experienced eight coups and coup attempts over the past 60 years.

Türkiye transitioned to a multiparty political system in 1946, and in 1950, power changed hands through democratic elections. However, only a decade later, on May 27, 1960, the democratic process was interrupted by a military coup. Although democracy was restored with a new constitution in 1961, another intervention occurred on March 12, 1971, when the government was overthrown by a military memorandum. On Sept. 12, 1980, yet another military coup took place.

Turkish political life encountered a “postmodern coup” during the Feb. 28, 1997 process, when the military wing of the National Security Council pressured the government to resign. A decade later, on April 27, 2007, a statement published on the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) website was used to interfere with the presidential election.

Undoubtedly, there may be other coup attempts that have not come to light. Nevertheless, Turkish democracy has continued on its path, enduring numerous serious tests. This resilience demonstrates how deeply rooted and internalized the culture of democracy is in Türkiye.

July 15, 2016 coup attempt

The July 15, 2016 coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) was the bloodiest and most brutal in Türkiye’s history of coups. It was carried out by a terrorist group that had been infiltrating the state for decades, using state resources, tools, equipment and weapons to stage a coup against the legitimate, elected government. In both scale and nature, it was unlike any other coup in the republic’s history.

The coup plotters had the capability to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the one hand, and to neutralize the chief of general staff and the commanders of the armed forces on the other. The highest institutions of the state, the Presidential Complex, the seat of the national will, Parliament, and many other official and strategic locations were bombed repeatedly. The weapons of the Turkish nation were turned against its own people.

Following the coup attempt, detailed investigations revealed the full extent of the incident, its perpetrators, and their collaborators. However, we believe the following figures are enough to convey the horror of that night: During the coup attempt, FETÖ mobilized more than 10,000 military and civilian members, 35 military aircraft, 74 tanks, 246 armored vehicles, three military ships, 3,992 weapons and 37 military helicopters.

First, 136 coup plotters closed the Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, where 30 citizens were martyred by bullets fired by the coup plotters. The Bosporus Bridge went down in history as the place where the first martyrs fell in the fight against FETÖ on July 15.

F-16 fighter jets bombed the Presidential Complex, the seat of the Republic of Türkiye. In front of the complex, 29 individuals who stood to defend the national will were martyred.

The FETÖ coup plotters continued their assault on the heart of the state. Parliament was bombed 11 times while members of Parliament were present. It was the first time in the 150-year history of the modern Parliament that the building was subjected to an aerial attack.

The Police Special Operations Center in Gölbaşı, Ankara, was also targeted by FETÖ terrorists. Bombs dropped by F-16 fighter jets killed 56 people, including 51 special operations police officers. The Ankara Police Headquarters were also struck once by F-16s and six times by helicopters.

Moreover, the coup plotters also closed the airports to air traffic. Fifty-eight coup plotters occupied Istanbul Atatürk Airport using four tanks, four armored vehicles, four trucks and four military jeeps. Six of our citizens were martyred there.

On another front, FETÖ, which planned to assassinate President Erdoğan, sent a 37-member assassination team to storm the hotel where he was staying in Marmaris. Two police officers, including one of President Erdoğan’s bodyguards, were killed.

Erdoğan’s leadership, national resistance

President Erdoğan’s leadership and his firm stance against the coup attempt on July 15-16 were extremely important and decisive. A form of “democratic heroism” – unseen in any previous coup attempts by civilian political leaders – was displayed. The global media has not sufficiently recognized or highlighted Erdoğan’s role in this struggle. This is partly because the Turkish people’s democratic resistance alongside their leader contradicts the established Orientalist narrative often found in Western media.

In my opinion, if a Western leader had led a similar struggle, they would have been showered with awards by international democratic institutions and foundations. The coup was thwarted thanks to Erdoğan’s leadership, Parliament, the resolve of our security forces in standing against the coup plotters and the heroic actions of our people who took to the streets. Across Türkiye, the people stood by their leader, their government, their will and their state. The Turkish nation put an end to this uprising through its glorious resistance, which resulted in 251 martyrs and 2,194 wounded.

Fast, comprehensive, thorough trials

This time, the Turkish judiciary did not wait for years but took action as soon as the coup attempt was heard and filed lawsuits that night with arrest warrants. Following FETÖ’s coup attempt, more than 100,000 investigations were conducted by the republic’s chief prosecutors. After the investigations were completed, 289 cases were filed across the country to bring the coup plotters to justice.

At the end of the approximately six-year trial process, the 289 cases filed in connection with the coup attempt were concluded. Thus, the trials in all coup attempt cases across the country were completed.

In the concluded cases, 4,891 defendants were convicted, with 3,000 of them receiving life imprisonment sentences. Among them, 1,634 defendants, including 85 former generals and 1,116 former officers, were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, while 1,366 defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment. Among those sentenced to life imprisonment were 24 former generals and 536 officers. The courts sentenced 1,891 defendants to various terms of imprisonment. In the completed trials, 2,870 people were acquitted. In some cases decided by the courts of first instance, the appeals and Supreme Court processes have also been completed, while the appeals and cassation reviews of many cases are still ongoing.

As in history, when the Turkish nation understood that its state needed it, it did not hesitate to take to the streets to protect and save its state. Together with their trusted leader, civilians stood up to planes and tanks, just as the Turkish National Anthem says, “with their chests as shields, against this shameless attack.” I believe that the national unity and solidarity shown against the coup on July 15 has now ended the history of coups in Türkiye.