16 July 2016
Regardless of its reasons, coups cannot be a solution anytime. Last night, we’ve witnessed an attempt of a coup in Turkey. According to some releases, 161 people died, including 41 police officers, 2 soldiers and rest civilians after this coup attempt done by a group inside Turkish Armed Forces, naming themselves as “Peace at Home Council”. It is understood that there are more than hundred deaths among the coup siders. The parliament building has been bombed. Thousands of people have been injured.
We are supporting a democracy in which all kinds of thinking can be defended and organised, non-violent, respecting freedom of expression and press, depending on the constitution and separation of powers, accountable, binding of the rule of law and human rights, respecting the free elections, establishing a peace atmosphere and performing with all its rules and institutions. There can be disturbance of any political thinking, but the solution can never be searched in such anti-democtaric methods, especially in coups.
It is necessary that the perpetrators of the coup attempt must be tried in light of fair trial principle and have the deserved punishment, but there cannot be any sacrifice from basic principles of human rights and criminal law. For this reason, we believe that it is not true even the pronunciation of any abolished punishment that are contrary to human rights and liberties. We demand for a combat with the coup in accordance with law, accountable and effective investigation and not harming our democracy anymore by more authoritarian attitude. We respectfully send our best wishes to our country, our democracy and our citizens.
HRAA Board