The regime established in the shadow of July 15: The coup attempt was a blessing for it

Policy Service

Nine years have passed since the July 15 coup attempt . The country has been dragged into a new impasse as a result of the conflict of interests between the Gülen Movement and the AKP coalition, which, in line with US Middle East policies, has undertaken to transform the country into an Islamist republic.

The coup attempt, which AKP President Tayyip Erdoğan described as a “blessing from God,” took exactly the form Erdoğan desired, and the foundations of today’s one-man regime began to be laid that day.

The Gülen Movement-AKP coalition, which has always felt the support of the US and capital powers, has established dominance over all areas of the country, especially the judiciary and the army, through a series of moves from the Ergenekon operations to the 2010 referendum.

The escalating war of power sharing between the Gülen Movement and the AKP escalated with conflicts ranging from the MİT crisis to the December 17-25 corruption operations, ultimately leading to the bloody coup attempt on July 15.

THE DOOR OF THESE DAYS HAS BEEN OPENED

Erdoğan instrumentalized the coup attempt of nine years ago as a key to the current situation. The AKP government, which lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in the period that began after June 7, 2015, used the MHP as a lifeline in the intrastate power struggle that spilled into the streets on July 15. Initially seeking to shed political responsibility for the events, Erdoğan, after declaring "we were deceived," developed a narrative of "national unity and solidarity" with which he could also shape the opposition. He first implemented this at the Yenikapı Rally held in Istanbul on August 7.

The rally turned into a demonstration of Erdoğan's political leadership, and his political rapprochement with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who was seeking to reshape the state, quickly transformed into a broad coalition called the "People's Alliance."

The "Presidential Government System," jointly shaped by the AKP and MHP, was approved by Parliament in January 2017 with the votes of both parties. Various irregularities occurred during the voting, such as the use of open ballots when a secret ballot was required.

The state of emergency has been made permanent

Before the Constitutional Referendum in April 2017, the very rhetoric of "favor" Erdoğan had mentioned was implemented. Using the July 15th coup as a pretext, a three-month state of emergency was imposed. The referendum itself took place under the guise of a state of emergency that was extended seven times. All elements of the opposition were suppressed under the grip of the state of emergency, and detention periods were extended. Strikes were banned and curfews were imposed under the state of emergency.

The referendum was marked by the Supreme Election Council deeming unstamped votes valid.

Despite being a year and a half away from elections, Bahçeli's call that "waiting for November 3, 2019 is impossible" led to the first presidential and parliamentary elections under the new system on June 24, 2018. With this election, parliamentary democracy in Turkey was abolished, and a de facto presidential system, in which executive power is concentrated in a single person, was ushered in. Following these elections, which officially ushered in the one-man regime, Erdoğan began ruling the country through statutory decrees. This one-man regime , just as it currently is, began its efforts to silence, destroy, and suppress anyone who would oppose him. At this stage, the framework established on July 15 is now behind us, and the regime has entered a new process in which it is redefining itself, particularly under the sway of the new US-Israeli Middle East plans.

The new equation in Syria and the Middle East, shaped by Israel's attacks in the region over the last two years, has brought the groundwork for a new alliance with the Kurdish movement to the fore.

This phase, which also marked the beginning of the disarmament process, began as an attempt by the regime to redefine its position through an indirect alliance with the Kurdish movement. This process saw the CHP declared its new archenemy, and the regime declared war on all segments of society that opposed it. While the initial crisis of the political Islamist regime following the July 15 coup attempt was attempted to be overcome through an alliance with the MHP, the one-man regime gradually became the source of the crisis. It ushered in a period in which the regime gradually lost its social support and struggled to survive amidst multiple crises, ranging from economic and social crises to foreign policy.

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Mandatory Working Hours for July 15th

A message sent by the Mersin Provincial Health Directorate to healthcare workers has revived discussions about the pressure placed on public workers. According to a report in Evrensel, the Provincial Health Directorate is allegedly requesting that all healthcare personnel participate in events for July 15th Democracy and National Unity Day, and that each employee bring "at least 10 civilian friends or family members."