Malik M Aslam Awan
ON 15 July 2016, Fetullah Gulen’s, FETO a terrorist organization executed a coup to end democratic era. Fetullah Gulen and his disciples, within the armed forces, planned to capture Turkish republic on that day. Fetullah Gulen was the mastermind of that coup, in which 251 civilians were martyred and thousands injured in the lethal attempt. FETO attacked Prime Minister’s vehicle. They tried to assassinate the President Recep Tayyab Erdogan. Turkish armed forces and Turkish police organizations stood up against the coup. They air-bombarded Grand National Assembly, Presidential Complex, the buildings of National intelligence Organization and Turkish National Police Department. Turkish people stood against the horrific attempt and courageously demonstrated their will against illegal attempts on the sovereignty of the people’s mandate, democratic system. FETO had a long term planning to hypnotize the young minds.
FETO had established a chain in 1970s, comprising more than 800 educational institutions and thousands of schools in Turkey and abroad, under the guise of charitable institutions. The kids were offered financial help and mainly a heavy hand in indoctrination. By the time most of them unfortunately turned into unquestioning foot soldiers of Fetullah Gulen. Those at the helm of affairs, to educate the youth had a specific agenda, to train a group of youth who would be the faithful disciples of FETO and had no loyalty except FETO. State and nation had no meaning for them. They were taught to maintain and carry out the obnoxious plans of FETO. Students of Gulen School of thought were facilitated to join armed forces and police Department to carry out the plans of FETO.
To have a formidable say in every walk of life media and business sectors were also managed to be occupied by Gullen school of thought. Gulen school of thought assimilated the journalists of like-minded tenor and started clandestine campaign against the opponent thought and the journalists having differences and trying to unveil the Fetullah thought were lynched indiscriminately. Business sector within the state and abroad was, also, manoeuvred to be the hub of Gulen school of thought. Change by ballot is the authentic way to replace the democratic government. To create public unrest by aerial bombardment on official buildings and kill civilians is anyway condemnable and it has been termed coup, coup, d’etat to hold the state affairs illegally. It is undesirable method and has never been commended by masses in any country. People of the world hate change by bullet, it is highly condemnable to conquer the heart instead of winning by love and affection. Fetullah Gulen has planned for long to create a disgruntled segment of society, hypnotized enough to obey his commands, having rancorous mindset to conquer the society by lethal arms, instead of Ballot. Changes brought by bullets earn public abhorrence and ultimately collapse, having cracks in the iron defensive wall around it. Fetullah Gulen had adopted abhorrent way to establish his despotic rule over Turkey. His despotic mindset earned disrespect for him and armed forces as well as public stood like iron wall in his way, if he had succeeded in his nasty mission, it would have disastrous effects on the foreign relations of Turkey, with the world, particularly with Pakistan. Since the creation of Pakistan, we had brotherly relations with Turkey.
Turkey and Pakistan are like twin brothers, who endeavour jointly for the renaissance of Islam. General public have mandated Recep Tayyab Erdogan and since decades he is serving the nation in various capacities with dedication, zeal and fervour. Tayyab Erdogan had brought revolutionary changes in the life of masses and eventually they want him to stay in power, to continue serving the nation. Whenever people would exhibit distrust in his person he will have to quit and vacate power corridors. Study of world history reveals that those rulers who brought pleasant changes in the life of common man are loved by masses and those who made the public life difficult won public disgust, now lying under the dust of history and their names are symbols of hate and sheer disrespect. The will of people is the most sacred sign to hold the Constitution in supremacy. Mustafa Kamal Ataturk’s proverb of “Sovereignty rests unconditionally and unrestrictedly with the Nation”, in fact symbolizes the consciousness of democracy in Turkey. The Supreme Court of Pakistan announced a verdict on 28 December 2018, ordering FETO to be designated a terrorist group under relevant Pakistani law and FETO-affiliated schools to be transferred to Turkiye Maarif Foundation. In the light of all these, 15th of July is designated as one of the national memorial days of Turkey under the name of “National Unity and Democracy Day”. Turkey Pakistan friendship will surely entail far reaching impact on the world politics.
—The writer is a freelance columnist and independent analyst based in Lahore.
