Turkey: A lesson to be ever remembered – News comment

The night of July 15, 2016 will be ever remembered: a military coup attempt in Turkey!
The country which has been run by AK Party for more than 14 years now still has the bad marks of military coups and military governments that ruled the country for decades in the 20th century.
Recovering from the negative effects of that era has been a long and hard process for Turkey which managed to take considerable steps towards democracy and economic growth. However, democracy in this prosperous young nation has strong roots despite all the geopolitical challenges that emerged after the Arab Spring and the repercussions of the Syrian revolution that have spilled over to many neighboring countries on top of them is Turkey which hosts more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
Almost nobody expected this summer quiet night would turn into a historic event with such momentum that bore within its details all those mixed feelings of fear, hope and uncertainty.
The red news bars on TV screens became wider with words saying that groups of soldiers that belong to the Turkish armed forces occupied Ataturk Airport and the two main bridges that connect the Asian part of Istanbul city with its European one.
Successive TV reports coming from Ankara and other Turkish cities hammered both the eyes and minds of millions of people who became mesmerized before the screens of their TVs or mobile phones looking for any new development that settle their fears. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter suddenly stopped and it was very difficult for some time to access them to get any news.
Few hours after confusion and uncertainty over what’s going on a group of soldiers took control of TRT TV station and obliged a TV presenter to announce a declaration by the coup leaders saying that they have seized control of Turkey to maintain democratic order.
The Turkish state broadcaster read a statement from the “Peace in the Nation” council. It declared the imposition of martial law, with a curfew in effect until further notice.
Soon after those breathtaking developments, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the nation — via FaceTime, urging people to take to the streets to stand up to the military saying: “Go to the streets and give them their answer.”
“I am coming to a square in Ankara. This was done from outside the chain of command.”
Erdogan continued that the small-ranking officers had rebelled against senior officers vowing to punish those responsible for the mutiny.
The call of the Turkish president was heard all over the country. Men and women, old and young, poured into the streets and gathered in the main squares raising Turkish flags and chanting anti-coup slogans.
Other groups of people headed to the airport and defied with extraordinary bravery armed soldiers and tanks.
Turkish soldiers, unlike their peers in Syria and other Arab countries, didn’t shoot their own citizens; however, few clashes erupted in different parts in Ankara and Istanbul but soon many soldiers gave up their arms meanwhile police forces managed to recapture many areas and buildings that were taken earlier by the coup’s soldiers.
With the coming of the first beams of the daylight, the view has considerably changed. The news coming from main hot points were very encouraging. Turkish new Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced later that the coup attempt by an army faction in Turkey has been put down.
Many people couldn’t sleep over joy and excitement. It the people’s will which prevailed and won. It is the Turkish people faith in democracy and the freedom of their country which saved it from this nightmarish tempest.
It is also the unity of the Turkish people and their political powers, including opposition forces, which proved to be the strongest shield that protected Turkey and helped thwart the coup.
Turkey could pass this hard experience with the least losses but it is after all from a Syrian and Arab perspective the significant lesson that all Arab peoples and governments should take in consideration; when united no one can take the people’s freedom away.
Most importantly, the Turkish lesson addresses the other part in the equation of the political life in the Arab World which is the long ruling rulers and governments. It simply says there is no power that can save any president or any government other than its own free people.
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