Kurdistan PM: Legitimacy, will of people succeed in Turkey

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdish Prime Minister congratulated the people and government of Turkey on Saturday after Turkey foiled the attempt of a military coup in the country.

In a statement, the PM of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Nechirvan Barzani applauded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Benali Yildirim, and the people of Turkey who foiled the military coup attempt.

“We are pleased to see the success of the will of Turkey’s people over a military group that tried to stand against legitimacy,” the statement read.

“We believe the failure of the coup will strengthen the government and the will of Turkey’s people as well as blocking the road for another military coup attempt,” the statement continued.

Barzani stated that the unity of parties and officials in Turkey could protect the legitimate authority, the country, and the region from instability.

“The people of Turkey bravely defended legitimacy with blood,” he added.

The PM also mentioned that it was a new and important example of the awareness of people in the country.

“This awareness of people will lead the region to stability and dialogue as well as eradicating terrorism and conflicts in the area,” the statement concluded.

On Friday, an unidentified faction of the Turkish military conducted a coup in an attempt to topple the current government of Turkey.

In the late evening, the coup released a statement saying, “Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights, and freedom.”

The coup brought tanks and military vehicles in front of Istanbul Ataturk Airport as well as some other prominent places in Ankara.

In a Skype interview broadcasted live on Turkish media, Erdogan stated that those responsible for the coup would pay a heavy price.

He also asked the people of Turkey to rise against the coup and protect democracy in the country. Following the President’s call, thousands of people started to attack the troops of the military coup in Istanbul and Ankara.

On Saturday morning, Yildrim said that 161 people had died, and 1,440 were wounded during the coup.

Turkey’s state-run news agency reported that 1,563 military personals involved in the military coup had been detained by the Turkish authorities. 

Due to the armed rebellion and instability in the country, some countries temporarily halted flights to Turkey, including the UK and Georgia.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany