Plotters must be heavily punished: Turks in S’pore
A Turkish man looks at destroyed police and civilian vehicles near the presidential palace, in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday July 17, 2016, that were attacked by a Turkish airstrike during a military coup late Friday. Rather than toppling Turkey's strongman president, a failed military coup that left more than 250 dead appears to have bolstered Recep Tayyip Erdogan's immediate grip on power and boosted his popularity. Photo: AP
SINGAPORE — In the wake of the failed coup in Turkey, members of the Turkish community in Singapore said those behind the plot to wrest power from their government should be heavily punished to deter any future coup attempts.
Turks who spoke to TODAY also lamented the innocent lives lost during the attempted coup, which claimed at least 265 people, 161 of whom were civilians and police officers.
Mr Huseyin Ozdemir, 44, owner of Derwish Turkish Mediterranean Restaurant in Bussorah Street, said the attempted coup amounted to “touching (the) country’s freedom” and condemned such a power grab as unacceptable. The coup plotters must face “heavy” punishment so that others who would contemplate such acts will “think twice”, added the Singapore permanent resident.
In echoing this view, Mr Mehmet Gul, 35, director of costume store Costume Star at Jalan Sultan Textile Centre, stressed that many lives were lost: “We don’t want this (to) repeat again.”
Mr Mustafa Nergiz, 37, who co-owns Istanblue Meze & Grill House on Baghdad Street, said military officers at “the top” should be taken to task. The Turkish Cypriot felt “sad” for soldiers who were simply following orders, particularly those doing national service.
Turkish Cultural Centre director Necmettin Eskici, 38, said any anti-democratic attempt was intolerable.
“Elected governments should be won through free elections, not force,” he told TODAY, adding that he supported the rule of law and democracy.
For most of those who were interviewed, their first reaction upon hearing the news was to phone their families at home to check that they were safe, and they were relieved to find their relatives were unharmed. Mr Gul, whose siblings and mother live in Istanbul, said the Turks were always prepared to “stand as one” amid incidents such as this.
There were also some who raised questions over whether there could be more to the coup, including an attempt to strengthen the government’s power.
Mr Hamit Gunay, 32, said the Turkish people must “wake up” and learn from this episode. The chef noted that the system must change, starting from the education of children in schools and respecting people from a young age.
Ultimately, Mr Eskici believes Turkey will emerge stronger from these “very difficult” times: “With a long and established democratic history, Turkish people and institutions will overcome this recent turmoil with more democracy and human rights for the benefit of everyone.” KENNETH CHENG
