The text argues that coups produce consequences that are as damaging to human dignity as dictatorial regimes, and in some respects even more severe. It states that while the nature of power and who is being fought against are clear under a dictatorship, coups suspend the rights to vote and stand for election, the transfer of power through the ballot box, and the will of the nation through armed intervention.
September 12 is presented as one of the most painful examples of this situation. It is conveyed that the coup administration imposed not only its own politics but also its own understanding of justice, and that Kenan Evren’s words, “We hanged one person from the right and one from the left,” revealed an understanding of political balance. It is stated that practices carried out in the name of the republic, secularism, and the survival of the state harmed the will of the nation and freedoms instead of protecting these values.
It is argued that during the February 28 period as well, a section of society was subjected to pressure in the name of secularism, and that secularism was turned into a tool for imposing a particular way of life. While it is stated that Türkiye is now far removed from the ground that gave rise to September 12, February 28, and July 15, the text emphasizes the need to remain vigilant against the assumption that the coup-minded mentality has been completely eliminated and not to allow tutelage over the will of the nation.
Why it matters
The significance of the text lies in the fact that it addresses military interventions not merely as political ruptures experienced in the past, but also in terms of the right to vote and stand for election and the change of power through the ballot box. The assessments concerning September 12 and February 28 foreground the question of how rationales such as protecting the state, secularism, and political balance were interpreted as grounds for restricting freedoms during periods of coups. This framework calls for caution over whether the debate on tutelage can be considered completely closed after July 15. However, the column by Nabi Kırmızı, a writer for Independent Türkçe, is based more on commentary and assessments concerning historical events than on verifiable objective data; therefore, the conclusions conveyed should be read as the author’s perspective rather than as independently reported findings.