Turkey now 'stronger' post coup bid: Presidential aide

ANKARA (AA) – Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has praised Turkey's resilience following the July 15 defeated coup.

In his weekly column in the English-language newspaper, Daily Sabah, Tuesday, Kalin wrote: "From a comparative point of view, any coup attempt would have destabilized any country, ruin its economy and divide the society. What happened in Turkey is just the opposite and goes to show the resilience of Turkey as a whole. Turkish people celebrate this as a source of strength and vitality.”

Kalin said the new consensus that emerged after the coup bid brought different political groups closer to one another. "From politics to economy, Turkey is stronger and more united than ever before."

The spokesman said the state of emergency, declared for three-months after the coup attempt, did not damage the economy or affect daily life.

Kalin said Turkish people wanted justice, not revenge against the Gulenist coup plotters.

"They want to see the principles of merit, accountability, transparency and trust established again as the foundations of governance and state-civilian relations - the principles which the Gulenist cult abused to take over the state. This is a necessary measure to make sure that Gulenists or similar groups do not attempt to infiltrate state institutions again. The measures are also necessary to prevent any future coup attempts."

Turkey's government has said the defeated coup, which left 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

He said despite the coup attempt Turkey continued to implement its foreign policy. "The process of normalization with Russia and Israel moved to the next stage with the visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to St. Petersburg on August 9 and the ratification of the Turkey-Israel agreement at the Turkish Parliament on August 20."

Kalin said Turkey showed resilience after the coup by launching a major offensive against Daesh terrorists in Syria and opening the third bridge over the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

"Today [Tuesday], is celebrated across the country as it marks the 94th anniversary of a major battle during Turkey's war of independence in 1922 whereby the country had gained its independence against the occupying forces. This combination of present reality, history and symbolism underscores Turkey's surprising resilience," he added.

Kalin said Turkey launched "Operation Euphrates Shield" to liberate the city of Jarabulus in Syria from Daesh terrorists.

Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched on Wednesday, is aimed at improving security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the terror threat along Turkey’s border through Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery and jets.

"Turkey defends Syria's territorial integrity against the PKK propaganda and its supporters in the West and will not allow a PKK-led statelet along its border. It should be made clear that Turkey does not have any problems with the Kurds of Syria just as it has no problems with the Kurds of Turkey or Iraq.

"But we all have a PKK problem that oppresses and kills Kurds as much as it attacks and kills Turkish civilians and security forces. The PKK and PYD are shamelessly using the war in Syria to create a de facto terrorist state in Syria. Turkey will not allow that."

He said the Euphrates Shield operation showed that if the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was supported properly, it could fight against Daesh as well as Bashar Assad's regime and clear Syrian territories of terrorism.

"Americans should revise their policy of supporting the PYD/YPG at all costs after the Jarabulus operation and see the damage their support to the YPG is causing to the social and ethnic harmony of Syria."

Ankara considers the PYD and its armed wing, the YPG, to be the Syrian offshoots of the PKK, which has waged war on Turkey for 32 years, and has declared their presence west of the Euphrates a red line.

While Turkey considers the PYD to be the Syrian offshoot of the terrorist PKK organization, the U.S. sees the group as its ally in the fight against Daesh.