On the evening of July 15, 2016, the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization” (FETO) launched a bloody coup attempt against the people and the government of my country. Their aim was to establish a radical, fundamentalist regime, loyal only to their ringleader Fetullah Gülen.

As FETO affiliated army units left their barracks to occupy key locations, such as the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul and fighter jets and attack helicopters bombed strategic targets including the Parliament, Presidential compound, army and police headquarters; thousands of civilians took to the streets to stop this unprecedented heinous coup attempt. The plotters killed 251 innocent civilians and left thousands injured. On that night the Turkish people defended democracy with their lives. This heroic response was something the conspirators did not foresee.

To understand what transpired, one has to understand the true nature of FETO. FETO was established in the late 1960’s as a so-called “religious movement”. In the guise of promoting education and inter-religious dialogue, it managed to cover its malign intentions.

The well-planned and wide-spread infiltration by FETO members and converts into the army, law enforcement, judiciary and numerous government institutions, including my Ministry, was carried out for decades clandestinely for an overarching plan, of which the final phase was unleashed on July 15, 2016.

Had the coup attempt succeeded, there would have been a very different Türkiye today. Democracy would not have existed and fundamental rights and freedoms would have been suspended indefinitely. The nation would have fallen in the hands of an extremist government. 

FETO not only controlled a significant portion of educational institutions, but also owned numerous financial institutions. Their bank accounts were fed by prominent FETO members in industry and commerce, as well as by officials and members of the public. Many innocent civilians were also lured into contributing to FETO’s finances as their piety was manipulated. The enormous income driven from their schools around the globe was channeled into these accounts clandestinely waiting for their ultimate move.

Following the bloody coup attempt of July 15, 2016, a resolute cleansing of the public sector, including government institutions and the military, as well as of the private sector from all FETO affiliated persons and companies was initiated.  Some prominent conspirators have been apprehended. Others escaped justice and found refuge in foreign countries. The head of the FETO terrorist organization, Fethullah Gülen, still resides in the United States. Our government has been requesting the extradition of Gülen to Türkiye from the United States as well as that of FETO members from European countries for years. Unfortunately, these requests have not been fulfilled yet. 

On the other hand, elsewhere in the world, an increasing number of governments understand the danger this terrorist organization also poses to them and are taking the necessary steps. FETO is also engaged in illegal activities such as visa fraud, money laundering and arms trafficking. Consequently, FETO members are being cleared from public and private sectors in many countries. Many schools affiliated with this terrorist organization abroad have been transferred to the Turkish Maarif Foundation after 2016. Today, Maarif Schools are functioning in many countries and are providing excellent education worldwide.

The nature and scope of Türkiye’s fight against FETO is no different than that exercised by other countries against organizations which had terrorized officials and civilians alike, and endangered democratic values, fundamental rights and freedoms. Türkiye is doing what the respective countries in their fight against terrorism have done in the past. All procedures are in compliance with law.

Terrorism does not have a nationality, ethnicity or religion. This menace threatens humanity as a whole. Therefore, the response to this threat must be united and determined. No state has the luxury to differentiate between terrorists and no terrorist organization can be classified as “useful” according to preferences. FETO is responsible for the loss of hundreds of lives as well as other grave crimes against the Turkish people. Six years after July 15, 2016, Türkiye continues its resolute fight against FETO, just as it continues its fight against other terrorist organizations such as the PKK, PYD-YPG, DHKP-C and DAESH.

We expect the international community to stand in solidarity with Türkiye in the fight against terrorism.

*******

EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed in this OP-ED do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, but are and should be read as an unedited account as submitted by the writer.

Samoa’s Prime Minister-elect says she does not think the accusation of treason by the incumbent leader holds sway and suggested he his having a hard time letting go of power.

Samoa’s Attorney-General has filed a complaint with the Supreme Court, claiming yesterday’s ad-hoc swearing in of the FAST party MPs was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court heard it for mention this afternoon, and set down a hearing for Thursday at noon.

The Attorney-General named the FAST party leader, Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, all of the party’s MPs and their lawyers as respondents.

In a statement last night threatening action, the Attorney-General’s Office said those who had conducted the ad-hoc swearing in ceremony held yesterday afternoon had no legal authority.

But today, FAST was maintaining that it is now the government – it has a majority, and was forced to act by the Head of State and parliamentary officials’ defying orders by the Supreme Court.

Incumbent Prime Minister Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi was not backing down either, today again calling the FAST party’s actions a coup.

FAST barred from Parliament
FAST had been barred from entering the Parliament building after Tuila’epa, who has been Prime Minister for 23 years and leader of the defeated Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), which had been in power for about four decades, directed the Speaker to lock the doors.

Under the constitution, Parliament must sit within 45 days of an election and yesterday was the last day for this to be possible.

Fiame spoke to RNZ Pacific’s Don Wiseman this evening and said she did not think the accusation of treason, made by Tuila’epa yesterday, was a serious one.

“You might have recalled at the last Parliament he was throwing those threats at the four of us. We were the sole opposition in the House,” she said.

“Treason, it’s very well defined. It has a lot to do with killing people or plotting to kill people, having full frontal physical attacks. It’s nothing like that.

“So I think he just likes to stoke the fire and throw in big words like treason. I don’t think that [his accusation] is very serious.

Tuila’epa today suggested the judiciary had a bias towards Fiame, partly due to a family relation. Fiame said he “needs to get a grip.”

“It’s not a matter of bias. It’s a matter of the merit of the issues and the cases brought before the court.”

Bad legal advice
She suggested Tuila’epa was either getting bad legal advice or having lawyers tell him what he wanted to hear.

“Unfortunately, the lawyers are people in their official capacities, they’re not private lawyers for the HRPP.

“They’re sort of running the show for him. In fact if there’s anything more concerning for me, it’s that these public officials are not able to play their role and functions in an independent and impartial way. They’re just toeing the line.”

Fiame said Tuila’epa was getting to the end of a long career and suggested he was having trouble letting go.

“The thing that really happened, first and foremost, is that he was getting to that point in that long and distinguished career where he thought he was, you know, omnipotent and could now do whatever he liked. Now, he’s gone from being ‘chosen by God‘ to setting himself up as very god-like.

“The second thing, I think, was that before the election he was making predictions of having another landslide victory. So when the results came out I think that was quite a dire shock for him.”

On where the situation with the Parliament is at now, Fiame pointed out that HRPP MPs also faced a conundrum.

Issue of 25 HRPP MPs
“So I would imagine that if things return to normality, whether there is a formal recognition of that process, and just transferred into the records of parliament, or whether we have another… because of course the other issue is what happens to the other 25 HRPP MPs? Are they in fact invalid or now voided by the fact that they weren’t sworn in by the deadline. So that’s another issue that’s in abeyance.”

Fiame and two other members of the majority party appeared in court in Apia this morning where they pled not guilty to a private prosecution brought by Tuila’epa.

The legality of yesterday’s ceremony is still in question but a legal expert today told RNZ that FAST did not carry out a “coup”.

“Rather, they acted in a way which was necessary to prevent one,” Fuimaono Dylan Asafo wrote.

“By refusing to attend the first meeting of the new Parliament, it was the Head of State who first and foremost breached the relevant constitutional procedures and any relevant standing orders.”

Prayers for peace
The Pacific Conference of Churches this morning called on its member churches around the region to pray for peace and justice to prevail in Samoa, with general secretary Reverend James Bhagwan saying the situation was quite concerning.

“Particularly the to and fro between the political parties,” he said.

“I am not a political commentator in any way but we can see there is a need for this to be resolved and we hope that that can be done in a manner that finds resonance with the people of Samoa.”

New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs today issued a statement calling on all parties to uphold the rule of law and respect the democratic process.

“We are willing to offer support to Samoa should that be useful during this complex period,” it said.

However, MFAT declined to answer a direct question about whether it recognised yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony as legal and official.

NZ faith in Samoan democracy
It would only say New Zealand “respects Samoa’s sovereignty and the mana of its democratic institutions, including the courts which have an important democratic and constitutional role” and that it recognised the “combined wisdom and experience of traditional and church leaders who will want to see a peaceful outcome”.

New Zealand “looked forward to working with a democratically elected” government, said the statement.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she had not spoken to the leader of either party since the election.

“We’ve joined with many others in just restating our faith in Samoa’s democracy,” Ardern said.

“It falls upon those within Samoa to demonstrate their faith in their own democracy too.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was looking forward to working with a democratically elected government of Samoa.

Pacific Islands Forum ready to help, says Puna
The Pacific Islands Forum is urging all parties in Samoa to find a peaceful resolution to the current deadlock.

Its incoming Secretary-General Henry Puna said forum members were closely following events in Samoa, and the group was willing to offer support and step in to help if asked.

Puna, who is the former Cook Islands prime minister, also called for a moment of reflection and solidarity across the Forum for the people of Samoa, where post-election events were making global headlines.

“I ask each of us across our member nations to keep the people of Samoa in our thoughts and prayers at this time, knowing that Samoa’s sovereign process and the world-renowned Fa’a Samoa will prevail at this critical moment in their history.”

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Samoa’s election-winning FAST party leader Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has been named the country’s first woman Prime Minister, in a swearing-in ceremony her rival called “treason”.

She named her cabinet this afternoon in the ceremony in a large marque tent erected on the Fale Fono (Parliament) grounds.

Whether this ad-hoc ceremony will be recognised as legal and official remains to be seen.

The rival Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) was not there, nor was there any sign of the judiciary, the speaker, or the head of state. The appointed clerk of parliament acted as FAST’s main legal counsel.

FAST had this morning been barred from entering the Parliament building after Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, who has been Prime Minister for 23 years and leader of HRPP, directed the Speaker to lock the doors.

Under the constitution, Parliament must sit within 45 days of an election and today was the last day for this to be possible.

FAST said the caretaker government’s actions were “tantamount to a coup”.

‘Bloodless … but a coup’
“I think a coup would be accurate,” spokesman for FAST Lance Apulu said when asked to describe the events of this morning. “Bloodless, but they are actually coups.

“The FAST party are abiding by the rule of law. Yesterday the latest declaration was given by the Supreme Court … they are pushing for the government to abide by the rule of law.”

A Supreme Court decision on May 17 broke a post-election deadlock by confirming the new FAST party had a 26-25 seat majority over the HRPP.

Then, a decision by the Supreme Court on Sunday overruled an edict late on Saturday by the Head of State withdrawing a directive for Parliament to open today.

HRPP, which has ruled Samoa for nearly 40 years, has been refusing to hand over power. Following the swearing in, Tuila’epa called the FAST Party MPs treasonous and promised legal action.

The nation’s first elected female Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, was sworn in outside Parliament on Monday evening in a historic and extraordinary moment in Samoa’s democratic history. https://t.co/tGiPBO0EuJ

— Samoa Observer (@samoaobserver) May 24, 2021

His words have been translated.

“This is treason,” he said. “This is law-breaking in its highest degree.”

Country’s chiefs disrespected
He said FAST had disrespected the country’s chiefs and leaders and were mentally unfit.

“I have a piece of encouragement for my government officials/public servants today: do not be worried, this party is doing what they can… all there is to do for now is to continue our hard work,” he said.

“I’m just wondering if ‘those guys’ are all there mentally… this isn’t and will not be a government of fools.”

He said only the Head of State could call Parliamentary meetings and swear people in.

“None of what they did is legitimate. The Devil has won and taken over them.”

When asked about the fact that it is Day 45 since the general election, and Samoa had not had a Parliament sitting, Tuila’epa said: “I’m going to answer that question at another, more appropriate time.”

It is probably fortunate Samoa has no armed forces, but there is now immense pressure on the public service and Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil.

Enforcing the law
This morning, the commissioner said his role was to enforce the law and he was doing that today by escorting Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese to and from Parliament in an attempt to uphold the Supreme Court order to convene parliament.

The judiciary – already under immense pressure, which it has so far held up to – is likely to be put to the test again.

Crises like these are where the head of state is meant to step in, but Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi has shown that he has been politically swayed, acting on the advice of Tuila’epa and the HRPP Attorney-General, and lacking his own independent advisers.

Even so, he is not in Apia and there has been no word from him today.

Tuila’epa said he wondered how the ad-hoc ceremony made Samoa look to other countries.

“They used to look at us with respect, now we are seen as fools … they have disrespected the dignities of the chiefs and leaders of their districts with their actions today.

“That was a joke, a joke. Oh my, where have we ever seen a Speaker sworn in, in a tent? Shameful.”

“I say that is enough foolishness, enough disrespect. But I am thankful to the Chief Justice for not being present at this tomfoolery.”

“As the FSM is itself a democracy, that both upholds and promotes democratic values, it is imperative that we show our friends, especially during their darkest hours, that we stand with them,” FSM President, David W. Panuelo in a statement recognizing Fiame as Prime Minister pic.twitter.com/1eAlcbLjah

— Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson (@lagipoiva) May 24, 2021

FSM recognises Fiame as PM
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at her post-cabinet briefing this afternoon, that the country would encourage “all parties and political leaders” to uphold the election outcome and the decisions of institutions including the judiciary, and the rule of law.

Ardern said New Zealand was not in a position to be playing “any interventionist role”.

She said despite the fact there was a “changeable” political situation, reports were that things were calm, in line with calls from political and faith community leaders.

The Federated States of Micronesia tonight said it “recognised the legitimacy of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Timeline of events leading to Samoa’s political crisis

• Friday, April 9 – Election: HRPP and newcomer FAST 25 seats each, with one to an independent.
• Tuesday, April 20 – Extra woman’s seat appointed, giving HRPP 26 seats to FAST’s 25.
• Wednesday, April 21 – Independent Tuala Tevaga Ponifasio commits to FAST giving them 26 seats continuing the electoral impasse.
• Thursday, April 22 – FAST challenges the extra women’s seat saying the Constitution specifies a minimum five women’s seats with the lawsuit to be heard in Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 5.
• Friday, April 30 – Electoral petitions due.
• Tuesday, May 4 – Electoral petitions given until the following Tuesday to sort out arguments.
• Tuesday evening, May 4 – HoS – O Le Ao O Le Malo – Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aleto’a Sualauvi II – makes surprise proclamation that a new election is being called for May 21 to break deadlock.
• Wednesday, May 5 – Attorney General calls for the Supreme Court case challenging the extra women’s seat be thrown out due to new elections. *Will reconvene on Friday and have tomorrow to sort arguments.
• Thursday, May 6 – HoS under advice from government proclaims no new candidates can run in by-election.
• Friday, May 7 – Supreme Court agrees to hear a challenge to the constitutional legality of snap-elections and the extra, unelected sixth women’s seat.
• Friday, May 8 – Tuila’epa tells local media he was appointed by God after protests against him outside the Supreme Court.
• Thursday, May 13 – Supreme Court rejects attempt by Attorney-General to delay a challenge to the snap-elections which was to be heard on Friday, May 14.
• Friday, May 14 – Supreme Court hears challenge against the constitutionality of the Head of State voiding the April 9 election and calling a new one on May 21.
• Monday, May 17 – Supreme Court hears challenge against extra women’s seat, voiding it and giving FAST 26-25 majority. Finds in favour of FAST’s challenge on grounds extra seat was declared after the election results had already been confirmed.
• Monday, May 17 – Supreme Court finds Head of State acted beyond his constitutional powers in calling a snap election and voids the ballot, clearing the way for FAST to declare a majority and government.
• Tuesday, May 18 – FAST asks Head of State to convene Parliament.
• Wednesday, May 19 – HRPP to challenge Supreme Court judgments, advises HoS not to call Parliament. Matai and supporters of HoS arrive in Apia by busload following threats to His Highness on social media.
• Wednesday, May 19 – HoS agrees to call Parliament. FAST asks for Friday but HoS prefers Monday, the last possible day to do so.
• Friday, May 21 – Court of Appeal rejects a stay on the ruling voiding the 6th women’s seat. FAST majority stands.
• Friday, May 21 – HoS calls for Parliament to convene on Monday, May 24.
• 7pm Saturday, May 22 – HoS proclaims that Parliament will be suspended until further notice.
• Early Sunday, May 23 – FAST files urgent call for Supreme Court to hear challenge to HoS’s new edict. Case heard in-chambers and proclamation ruled unlawful.
• Monday, May 24 – FAST party arrives at Parliament to find the doors locked. Tuila’epa says only the Head of State has the power to convene Parliament and his HRPP party remains the government.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

American expats are feeling grateful to be living in Aotearoa after watching the chaos and violence unfold at the Capitol building in Washington.

Madeline Nash, her husband, and her two children looked at moving to New Zealand after the 2016 presidential election.

Her eldest child was just about to start school and during the hour-long school tours they went on, 20 minutes were spent explaining the school’s shooter protocol.

They finally made the big move to Auckland from Austin, Texas, in 2018.

Although she is not surprised, she said what was happening in Washington, DC, was far worse than they had ever imagined.

“To actually see that people have taken it so far that they are willing basically, I would say to hop over the line to sedition and treason, they’re really just trying to tear down the country.”

Nash said partisan politics had become extremely polarising in the US but living in New Zealand was like being in an alternate reality.

“I’m glad that we have this ability to be here and our children are a bit sheltered from what’s going on, but as an adult it is very hard to be straddling both worlds right now.”

US ‘in shambles’
Jade De La Paz is an American citizen who moved to Dunedin to complete her PhD at Otago University.

She has been feeling stressed and can’t take her eyes off the news.

“We just had this huge victory and now the whole country is falling apart, but there’s nothing I can do from here except for vote.

“You’re sitting here thinking my country is in shambles,” De La Paz said.

Katie Smith moved from Southern California to Auckland in 2017 with her New Zealand partner and is flabbergasted.

“I want to know what alternate reality these people live in.”

While Smith is a Democrat, much of her family are Republicans, but even they don’t agree with what is happening.

“It’s not about and it hasn’t been about politics for a very long time. it’s about being a decent human being.”

Smith said that everything that has been happening in the US has been affecting her mental health.

“I can’t see things getting better for the States any time soon.”

She said she is grateful to be living in Auckland here at the moment and wishes she could move her friends and family living in the US to New Zealand.

In the 2018 census more than 16,000 people living in New Zealand identified as American.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

After weeks of President Donald Trump’s baseless claims about voter fraud and other improprieties costing him the presidential election, Washington erupted in chaos today as his supporters stormed the Capitol during a joint session of Congress to certify the results.

While shocking to watch, in hindsight, today’s riots feel almost inevitable.

Trump has spent weeks insisting the election was stolen, with very little push-back from the Republican Party. There have been some notable people who have challenged him, but even while this riot was going on, there were more than 100 Republican lawmakers trying to block certification of the election.

This has been a highly opportunistic process on the part of Republican legislators.

For Trump, this is the whole game; at this point, it seems there is nothing else he cares about. He is desperately trying to hang on to power.

Amid all of this, it was inevitable at least some Americans would take the word of their current president very seriously. Having fired them up in this way, it becomes much harder to control mob behaviour.

Trump’s belated tweet telling protesters to go home and go in peace (now removed by Twitter) was far too little, too late.

Looking at some of these images coming in from Washington, there is almost an element of “cosplay” (“costume play”). A lot of the rioters were dressed up in bizarre paraphernalia.

On some level, I think they know they can’t actually seize power. There’s almost this carnival element to it of these people delighting in causing complete chaos.

Whether it’s Trump or his rioting supporters, if they can’t get their own way, if they can’t win, they’ll just create as much chaos as possible and revel in the absurdity of it.

Another thing that’s very obvious is these protesters didn’t fear the police. They were able to push their way past the police, they were able to force entry into the Capitol building and they’re then making jokes with reporters.

They believed the police would not retaliate against them fatally — although four people died, including one woman who was shot by police.

The contrast with the Black Lives Matter protests is striking. A Black Lives Matter protest would never have been allowed to get that close to the Capitol. These are people acting with all kinds of impunity.

I can’t even put into words how this makes me feel when I personally know the anxiety felt by Indigenous people, Black people & the prep undertaken when there’s an #Indigenous or #BLM rally knowing there will be a combo of violence, batons, dogs, water hoses, tear gas & guns! https://t.co/wT1xL5ruNZ

— Bronwyn Fredericks (@BronFredericks) January 6, 2021

Undermining election results at all costs
In storming the Capitol and trying to stop a legitimate process of certifying the election, the rioters are following the lead of Trump and many congressional Republicans. It’s been a trend for a while for Republicans that if they lose an election, they do as much as possible to nullify the results.

This is not necessarily trying to overturn the result. But if you look at recent elections in North Carolina and Wisconsin where Democratic governors won, that was followed by Republicans in the legislatures stripping as much power as possible from the governorship.

This idea that an election is only legitimate if we win has been put into practice by Republican legislators across the country for quite a while now.

With Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in November, there have been very few Republicans who have actually acknowledged this was the will of the people.

Part of that is because Trump’s victory four years ago was so unexpected, a lot of Republicans believe this was a new era in American politics. Part of that was the ability of Trump to win without actually winning the popular vote.

Now that Biden has won, there’s a real unwillingness to acknowledge elections can still be lost legitimately by Republicans.

A failure of leadership from senior Republicans
From the beginning, Kevin McCarthy, the number one Republican in the House of Representatives, was absolutely behind these ridiculous stolen election claims. He’s never backed away from them.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, let these things go on for weeks before he made the most minimal statement that the Electoral College had spoken. It is no surprise that McConnell was then completely unable to control Republicans in the Senate who wanted to contest the certification of the election results.

Republicans have learned the lesson that the way to get the most attention, the way to further your career, is to take the most pro-Trump stance possible. So, it was no surprise so many lawmakers would back this effort to block certification of the election. They’re raising money off this, they’re creating YouTube videos to show their supporters.

It’s become Trump’s party. A lot of people see the path to political advancement backing Trump at every point.

There were a lot of Republican legislators who hoped Trump would eventually give up. In the days after the election, some were saying we should let Trump play out his legal options, he will do the right thing eventually and he’ll step aside for the good of the nation.

But he was never, ever, ever going to step aside or concede. What he does is he just keeps people on board with him. Anyone who waits for Trump to do the right thing inevitably ends up supporting him when he does the wrong thing.

This is a lesson Republicans should have learned, but they’re scared of his supporters. None of them have supporters who would potentially risk their lives to storm the Capitol building.

The best check on power? The people
There have been surprises in both the strengths and weaknesses of America’s institutions over the last few years. For example, federalism has turned out to be quite an effective check on presidential power when it’s been exercised by someone like Trump, which is perhaps not something Democrats would have necessarily believed before.

On the other hand, we’ve seen this massive erosion of norms, especially in Congress. This has been going on for quite a while and McConnell has been one of the major eroders of norms for a long time.

Congress was never really an effective check on Trump.

Ultimately, after the election, it was local and state officials like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Aaron Van Langevelde, a member of Michigan’s board of state canvassers, who said enough is enough when members of Congress weren’t doing it.

And despite the fact Trump has packed the federal courts and Supreme Court with conservative judges, none of his legal challenges went anywhere.

But in the end, the lesson is the most effective check is the election. It is the voice of the people. For every norm that Trump broke, for every anti-democratic thing he did, there was a bigger backlash.

We saw an election with one of the biggest turnouts in history. We had four years of pretty consistent protests in the streets. And in the end, this is the most important check on the presidency that there is.

Dr David Smith is associate professor in American politics and foreign policy at the US Studies Centre, University of Sydney. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz