Erdogan on the Anniversary of the Turkish Coup: We Will Sever the Heads of Traitors

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the first anniversary of Turkey's failed coup, on a day that the Turkish government has named "Democracy and Unity Day," stated that those who he claims have "betrayed" the country will be dealt with severely. The anniversary of the failed coup on July 25 has been commemorated in various cities across Turkey, with groups of people participating in related marches. Turkey has declared July 15 a public holiday and named it "Democracy and Unity Day." The Turkish President himself participated in a special session in the parliament and then joined a march in Istanbul, after which he returned to Ankara to participate in demonstrations outside the parliament and a ceremony at the presidential palace in the early hours of Sunday. He reiterated to the hundreds of thousands gathered around the Bosphorus Strait and the bridge that his government may reinstate the death penalty. Erdogan stated, "First, we will sever the heads of those who have betrayed us." Turkey has abolished the death penalty since 2004. The re-approval of its implementation and the President's signature would violate one of the main conditions for EU membership and effectively end that process. Erdogan has repeatedly stated that his country does not need to become a member of the EU "at any cost." He recently mentioned in an interview with BBC World that if the European institution declares it cannot accept Turkey's membership, it would be "a source of peace of mind" for his government, adding that the EU is wasting Turkey's time. The failed coup in Turkey occurred on July 25 last year, resulting in the deaths of at least 249 people. Following the coup, thousands were dismissed or arrested, and many media outlets were shut down. For the past year, a state of emergency has been in place in Turkey. On the anniversary of the coup, the Turkish government announced the dismissal of another seven thousand police, military, and government personnel. In another speech during the coup commemoration, Erdogan stated that on July 25, 1395 (according to the Persian calendar), "our country showed the whole world what kind of nation we are." The coup was met with reactions from many countries around the world, including Iran, European countries, and the United States, all of which opposed it. However, Turkish officials did not hide their dissatisfaction with the reactions of their Western allies, including in Europe and the U.S. Meanwhile, the issue of the non-extradition of Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan's opposition cleric residing in the U.S., overshadowed relations between the Turkish government and the Obama administration. On the other hand, the arrests, dismissals, media shutdowns, and widespread actions of Erdogan's government have faced repeated criticism. Reports of "torture and abuse" of detainees have been published, and Ankara has been urged to respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms. In this context, the Turkish parliament agreed to extend the state of emergency for another three months.