Islah Haber (Islah News) presents the opinions of Muslims from different regions on the unsuccessful coup attempt on July 15. In this context we convened the first interview with Mahmut Kar, Head of Media Office Hizb ut Tahrir in Turkey.
ISLAH HABER – NEWS CENTER
We present you with an interview with Mahmut Kar, Head of Media Office Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Turkey, evaluating the coup attempt on July 15, the perpetrators behind it, the course of events and their results.
Islah Haber: It was said that Turkey overcame the epoch of coups. However on July 15th, a coup was attempted. The attempt was the bloodiest compared with previous attempts. How is this tradition of military coups in Turkey to be interpreted?
Mahmut Kar: In countries like Turkey where colonial powers lead their hegemony battles, coup attempts are unfortunately always very likely to happen. Take a look at the Middle East, Africa and the South American countries… During the 20th century, almost anyone who got up early in the morning could come to power through a coup in these countries. And if asked who is behind these coups, we can say, of course the colonial powers. Colonial states like the US, Britain and France have always been in a fight of interests in these countries in order to dominate over the polity. Therefore, a coup was conducted by a colonial state with military power against a colonial state with influence over the political power in that country. It’s the same in Turkey; we are witnessing an ongoing influence, meaning hegemony conflict between the US and Britain since half a century. Because, unfortunately, also Turkey has become an arena for these colonialists. It does not matter if it is said that the period of coups is over; the colonialist will continue to think of coup attempts in the future too. Until we break off the relations with these colonial states like the US and Britain and eliminate their influence and their followers on the inside.
As for the issue of coups in Turkey, we have to express the following: The biggest coup on this soil was the abrogation of the Khilafah on March 3, 1924. Yes, this was not only the biggest coup for Turkey, but for the entire Islamic world. The British were behind that coup. Because it was them, who abolished the Khilafah after the Conference of Lausanne. Just like a handful of secular Kemalist junta on July 15, a little gang sneakily conducted a coup with arms, pressure and deceiving the public and abolished the Khilafah. The reformations, introduced by the Republicans, were not implemented with the consent of the Muslims, but through force. From that day forward, it’s possible to say, that the coups must be understood by seeing and knowing the colonial powers are behind them.
Islah Haber: While the public in general thinks that the July 15 coup attempt was backed by the US, meanwhile Hizb ut Tahrir said that the pro-British secular Kemalists behind the coup. What do you base that on?
Mahmut Kar: Look, let me give you an example from recent history to answer this question. When the Russian warplane was downed on November 24, 2015, everybody said that this incident was conducted within the chain of command. Furthermore, then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu made an official statement, saying: “I gave the order”. President Erdogan however said, “We downed Russian jet because it violated our airspace. If it is violated again, we will down it again”. As Hizb ut Tahrir, we stated in our political analyses at that time, that the Russian plane was not downed upon the political leaders’ order, but rather through the order of some commander within the Turkish army, who pursued different political aims than President Erdogan. The accuracy of our analysis has become visible today. Those pilots who downed the Russian jet and many air force generals have been arrested after the coup. At that time, we substantiated our analyses by saying that Russia conducted its Syria operations within the frame of its agreement with the USA, and that the current government of Turkey would not be able to violate an agreement reached under the auspices of the United States.
Now, while everybody claims that America is behind the coup, we as Hizb ut Tahrir say that it is the secular Kemalists who are loyal to Britain are the ones behind the July 15 coup attempt. We say that because there is a broad consensus between the United States and political power in Turkey therefore the United States has no reason for a coup attempt. But the pro-British secular Kemalists who fell back in the struggle for influence in the country, whereas their officers in the Turkish Armed Forces have made an impudent and brutal attempt. And some officers who are members of the Gülen group called PDY have individually joined this attempt because of Erdogan. As it was the case with many of our political analysis and in particular the recent downing of the Russian jet, the validity of the analysis will become soon apparent to the public opinion.
If I may, emphasize the following: it does not matter who is behind the coup whether it is America or Britain; it does not change the situation for the Muslims because these are colonialist Kuffar. However, if you are not able to see and to show the country behind the coup, the reason for the coup, and who was involved in this work, you are just going to watch the struggle of interests in our country. You will just watch the enemy pawns while the true enemy still remains.
Islah Haber: What was your stance as Hizb ut Tahrir Wilayah Turkey towards the coup during this period?
Mahmut Kar: Hizb ut Tahrir has always been against any coup, not only in Turkey, but also throughout the Muslim lands. For this reason, we published a written press statement the same day of the coup on July 15th, and stated that this coup is a brutal act of terror and condemned the coup-plotters. Because the coup-plotters had clearly shown their hostility towards the Muslims in the statement they published on TRT through their emphasis on secularism. They proved their resentment and anger through aiming their guns at the Muslim people of Turkey and killing them. See, when Al-Sisi staged the coup in Egypt, we here in Turkey went to the squares and called out to our brothers and sisters in Egypt that we are with them. We shouted out our opposition towards both the coup and democracy by shouting “Down with Sisi, down with democracy.” And now, during the July 15 coup attempt, we declared our opposition towards the coup and democracy and we still say it.
The people flocking to the streets and resisting the coup have revealed the society’s general sentiment and the colour of its mind. This sentiment and concepts are a result of Islam, and not of democracy and secularism. Have you seen any democrats, secularists, Kemalists or liberals flocking to the squares? No! Note that I am not talking about squares which were turned into democracy festivals during the latter process. We did not join the gatherings in these squares which were presented as the victory of democracy and titled as feast of democracy. However, it was only the Muslims with Islamic sentiments who went to the streets and resisted on the night of the coup. And they resisted this junta attempt together with alongside their Muslim brothers. Some of our brothers went to the Akıncı Base that night to confront them. Also there have been injuries among the relatives and family members of our brothers in Istanbul and Ankara, and some even lost their lives.
Islah Haber: A full-scale cleanup within public institutions started after July 15, which is handled under a few bad apples excuse. How should this process be managed?
Mahmut Kar: The beginning of intense, wide-scale and swift suspensions right after the coup attempt shows that in reality these suspensions have been planned beforehand. Actually this coup attempt is being used as an opportunity for suspensions. This has also been stated by officials. However; the government should not make the mistake that the PDY, the Gülen Group, made before. Because police officers and judges affiliated with the Gülen group, described everyone, guilty or innocent, in the same level they called Ergenekon. So much so that they tyrannised the Muslims almost all Islamic communities and movements by associating them with Ergenekon through all kinds of slanders and committed people to prison through extrajudicial judgments.
Also, it is possible that public servants working in state agencies might report others falsely, literally like being on a “Parallelist” hunt, for reasons like getting a promotion, or simply for not liking that person. This might cause various people to lose their jobs and livelihood. These people have children and families. Therefore it is essential to hold on to the right and justice. This is what Allah سبحانه وتعالى advises us and He سبحانه وتعالى says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.”
(al-Maa’idah: 8)
Allow me to tell you: Among those who have been wronged most by the parallel structure, are also the members of Hizb ut Tahrir. During this process, more than 500 of our members have been sentenced to more than 2,000 years of prison. This as a result of both, the police officers and prosecutors who just have been arrested and also the trials carried out by judges who were arrested recently. This group tried to blacken Hizb ut Tahrir in all possible ways through means of media, police and judiciary. In spite of this, we say that the government should not act in the way they did. There must be made a distinction between the guilty and innocent, and injustice must be prevented with maximum efforts.
Islah Haber: In respect to Ergenekon, we also have to ask the following question: At the moment, those who were discharged from the TAF, are being replaced by the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer case defendants. How do you interpret this?
Mahmut Kar: This strategy of the government is a strategy of “My enemy’s enemy is my friend” and this is wrong and very dangerous. Because this is a decision taken to save the coup. The president and the government have to realize that this coup was only prevented through the people’s support. The true think-tank behind this coup are the secularists and Kemalists. Those tried in the Ergenekon and Sladgehammer cases were also of the secular and Kemalist mindset. If these people are supporting the President and the government at the moment, they surely do it for their interests. Because their world-view and their image of Turkey has not changed. That the government accepts the support of this fraction in the manner of ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’, is a major mistake and danger for the future. Likewise, it is possible to say the same about the assignments in the judiciary. The fatal results of ‘putting the cat among the pigeons’ must have been seen in the parallel state structuring. Therefore I think it is necessary that the Muslim public opinion has to raise its voice against these kind of assignments.
Islah Haber: What is the important lesson to be taken from this period for the Muslims and the politicians?
Mahmut Kar: The lesson to be taken for the leaders is very clear. Especially the President has to take a big lesson from this coup attempt. The July 15 coup attempt has demonstrated that the Muslim people in Turkey want Islam and to be ruled by an Islamic ruling. The Muslims have proven to everyone that they are ready for this.
All the colonialist countries just waited during the coup process and acted according to the outcomes. If the coup had succeeded; you can be sure that all of them, the US, Britain and all European countries would have contacted the coup-plotters and would be ready to fully cooperate with them. Unfortunately today both the government or the President have still not cut relations with these countries. For example, in this quite radical environment, where many decisions are felt, it was said that the main base of the coup plotters, the Akıncı base, would be shut down. Despite this the base that showers death upon the Muslims and which was determined as another base for the coup, the Incirlik base, is still functioning and has yet to be closed. If America were behind the coup; then, is it not necessary to close this American base too? Also, how is the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff still able to set a foot on our soils during this period? This relationship shall never forgot: The US and the West can never be friends. President Erdogan has yet to see this and take appropriate steps.
As to the lesson that Muslims have to take from this coup… See, when the Muslim people went to the streets chanting İslamic slogans after the coup, the West immediately took action and responded by stating, “There must not be any compromise in democracy and it must not be abandoned.” This shows that the West and their powers in our country are terribly scared of an Islamic uprising of the Muslims. Therefore, the people who challenged tanks and guns must know and see the colonialists behind the coup. It must not be forgotten that, as long the colonialists’ ambitions continue in Turkey, they will continue to resort to coup attempts. Therefore just as they stood against the coup, the Muslims have to oppose democracy as well. Because just like the coup; democracy is based in the West and dangerous for the Islamic Ummah and the Muslims.
Also through standing against the coup attempt, the Muslims actually have seen the power that exists within themselves. If they put their effort in the work for Islam and the Khilafah Rashidah upon the method of the Prophethood, the colonialists will never be able to dare another coup attempt. Because in the Khilafah Rashidah, the state and the army act as one single body. Because with its leaders, its army and its people, the Khilafah Rashidah is a single Ummah. The ideas and the emotions are one. The only culture in which the people is carry the Islamic Culture.
Source: ISLAH HABER