Statement From Erdoğan at Atatürk Airport
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made a statement in Atatürk Airport regarding the coup attempt.
He has noted that the location where he was staying before leaving Marmaris has been bombed and his general secretary had been held.
He has pointed at the “parallel state formation” (meaning the Gülen Movement) as responsible. He has added that operations and arrests have been launched and will continue.
“Treason, a rebellion movement”
Some headlines from his statement are as follows:
“This action right now is a treason, an uprising movement. They will pay a heavy price for his treason. [...] That they can’t put up with a government which has come to force with the votes of the nation and its Commander-in-Chief Tayyip Erdoğan ...this won’t be the end for them”.
“This will contribute to our armed forces being purified”
“At the beginning of August, Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting. It is significant that such an action has been undertaken right ahead of YAŞ.
“I call on the commanders and all soldiers”
“I call on all the high ranked commanders of our army; you possess the values of this nation, I know it. [...] I call on all our soldiers, you are our sons [..] and it is unacceptable to pull your guns against the nation who stand before you. You have been given these arms by this nation. You will pay a heavy price for this”.
“Arrests have started”
“The arrests have started. Colonels are being arrested. The very pure state of our armed forces should not be dishonored.
“We have launched the operation, and will liteally complete it too. Today, this incident has taken start but this will continue just like is has with the terrorist organizations. We had said earlier that this here is also a terrorist organization and now it has come out that it is also an armed one.
“[...] This is just a minority within the military. In Turkey, there is a President and a Government who have been elected by the people. We are still on duty. We will not leave our country to these occupants. (BK/NV/DG)