World leaders expressed support for Turkey and its democratic institutions on Saturday after the government quashed an attempted military coup.
UNITED STATES
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would entertain an extradition request for exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey’s president blames for a failed coup.
But Kerry added that Turkey’s government would have to present evidence of Gulen’s wrongdoing that withstands scrutiny.
While visiting Luxembourg, Kerry said Turkey hasn’t made a request to extradite the Pennsylvania-based Gulen. But he said he anticipates questions about Gulen, who has condemned the coup attempt.
Kerry said on Saturday the U.S. opposed any attempt to overthrow a democratically elected leader and change must come through a constitutional process.
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ISRAEL
A statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry said it respects the democratic process in Turkey and looks forward to the continued reconciliation between the countries.
Israel and Turkey recently struck a broad reconciliation pact to restore diplomatic relations after six years of animosity between the once-close Mideast powers following a deadly Israeli naval raid to stop an activist flotilla aiming to breach the Gaza blockade.
Relations between Israel and Turkey began to decline soon after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party has Islamist roots, came to power in 2003.
Since then, Erdogan has sought closer ties with Muslim nations while trying to distance his country from Israel. Erdogan’s close ties with Gaza’s Islamic Hamas rulers have further strained ties.
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INDIA
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India is “closely following the developments in Turkey.”
“India calls upon all sides to support democracy and mandate of the ballot, and avoid bloodshed,” she said on Twitter.
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GERMANY
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned the coup attempt in Turkey, calling on all parties to respect democratic order and avoid further bloodshed.
Steinmeier said in a statement Saturday that Germany is “deeply concerned” about the developments overnight.
He said he condemns “any attempts to change the democratic order in Turkey by force.”
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PAKISTAN
An aide to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attempted coup in a statement and said Pakistan “hopes that peace and normalcy will be restored in Turkey.”
Tariq Fatimi also said he had contacted Turkey’s foreign minister to express solidarity with Turkey’s government and democratic institutions.
Pakistan’s main political parties have also praised the people of Turkey for foiling the coup.
Sharif was himself overthrown in a 1999 coup led by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan until 2008.
A Pakistani non-profit organization organized a pro-Erdogan demonstration in the capital Islamabad to pay tribute to the Turkish people and their leader for foiling the coup attempt.
Dozens of supporters of the Khubaib Foundation, which works mainly on education and support of orphans, gathered near the National Press Club Saturday and chanted slogans in favor of the Turkish government and President Erdogan.
Holding Turkish and Pakistani flags and displaying banners written in Turkish and Urdu, demonstrator chanted “Long live the Turkish people.” One banner in Urdu read “The Pakistani nation salutes the people of Turkey and Erdogan for sustaining democracy.”
The foundation’s chairman Nadeem Ahmed Khan said the Turkish people’s success in foiling the coup attempt is a triumph of democracy and human rights.
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BRITAIN
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to underline support for Turkey’s “democratic elected government and institutions” in the wake of the overnight coup attempt.
The Foreign Office is advising Britons in Turkey to stay indoors, avoid public places, especially demonstrations, and remain vigilant.
British Airways said it is canceling all flights to and from Turkey Saturday, but budget airline easyJet said it plans to runs its scheduled flights, largely to Turkish resort towns. The airline said the schedule “will be kept under continuous review.”
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NATO
NATO’s chief said all alliance personnel and military units in Turkey are “safe and secure” following the attempted coup.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a Twitter post that he had spoken to NATO’s supreme commander, U.S. Army Gen. Curtis M. Scapparrotti, who “confirms that all NATO personnel and units in Turkey are safe and secure.”
The alliance chief also tweeted that he welcomed “the strong support shown by the people and all political parties to democracy and to the democratically elected gov of Turkey.”
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SPAIN
Spain’s acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo condemned the attempted coup, telling Spanish national television that his government completely supports the Turkish government headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He says “without a doubt we support respecting the constitution and democratically elected institutions, and we condemn all coups without reservation.”
Garcia Margallo spoke by telephone from Mongolia, where he is attending the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting.
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COUNCIL OF EUROPE
The Council of Europe called for Turkey’s public institutions to resume their normal functions and offered its help in the aftermath of the coup attempt.
Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Chair Marina Kaljurand condemned the coup attempt and expressed her support for the democratically elected authorities.
“I call for the resumption of the normal functioning of public institutions and reaffirm the Council of Europe’s availability to continue to assist Turkey on the basis of the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” she said in a statement.
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SYRIAN OPPOSITION
The exiled Syrian opposition congratulated the Turkish people for halting the attempted military coup.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition said Turkey has protected its democratic institutions “in the face of dark and desperate attempts that sought to take control of the popular will.”
It said the Turkish people value democracy and “will not let a group of putschists take it away in a desperate attempt to restore military rule.”
Turkey has been one of the main backers of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad, and is hosting some 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
In the early hours of the attempted coup, celebratory gunfire broke out across Damascus. The government and its supporters view the rebels as terrorists and consider Turkey to be one of their chief sponsors.
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JAPAN
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said “democratic institutions should be respected in Turkey.”
“We strongly hope that the situation will return to normal and that order and peace will be restored as soon as possible,” he said in a statement.
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HAMAS
The Islamic militant group Hamas congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for quashing a “vicious” plot to overthrow him.
The Turkish leader has been a staunch supporter of Hamas and a fierce critic of Israel. Hamas said it remembers Turkey’s “wise leadership in supporting the Palestinian people and their cause” and working to lift the blockade on Gaza, the coastal territory ruled by the group.
Hamas supporters took to the streets in several places across the Gaza Strip to celebrate the failure of the coup, raising Turkish flags and posters bearing Erdogan’s image.
Turkey recently restored ties with Israel after a six-year lull following a deadly Israeli naval raid to stop an activist flotilla aiming to breach the Gaza blockade.
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QATAR
The Gulf nation of Qatar, which has close ties to Erdogan’s government, was quick to condemn the military coup attempt.
It called the attempted coup a “violation of the constitutional legitimacy” in Turkey and said it supports all legal measures the government takes to maintain security and stability.
The official Qatar News Agency said the ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has spoken with Erdogan by phone to express Qatar’s support.
Qatar and Turkey have grown increasingly close in recent years, and share similar stances on their support for Syrian rebel groups and the Muslim Brotherhood. The two countries agreed last year to establish a Turkish military base in Qatar.
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IRAN
Iran said the attempted military coup in Turkey was “doomed to fail.”
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as praising the “brave defence by the people of Turkey of their democracy and elected government.”
He said the events in neighbouring Turkey prove “that coup d’etat has no place and is doomed to fail in our region.”
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AFGHANISTAN
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani expressed support for Turkey’s elected government, saying in a statement that “democratic elections are the most effective means for peaceful transfer of power.”
“Militaristic options will only undermine democratic institutions, stability and development in the country,” the statement from Ghani’s office said.
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SUDAN
Sudanese President Omar Bashir condemned the attempted coup in Turkey and expressed support for the government.
Bashir, who himself came to power in a 1989 military coup, said in a statement that the “Sudanese people and government stand alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his government and the people of Turkey.”
Sudan’s Foreign Ministry congratulated “Turkey, its president, government and people for the decisive victory of the national will.”
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AZERBAIJAN
The president of Turkey’s neighbour Azerbaijan condemned the attempted coup.
President Ilham Aliev was concerned about developments in Turkey and “welcomed measures taken to prevent the attempt at a coup and to stabilize the situation,” spokesman Ali Hasanov said.
Azerbaijan is a Turkic nation and its late president Geidar Aliev once described their relations as “one nation, two states” — a phrase later echoed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sourced from AP, Featured Image Courtesy: graphics.wsj.com
