Doha, 14 July 2022 (QT)

By Ashraf Siddiqui

THE Republic of Turkiye was able to overcome crisis in no time and has been busy building its future since the coup attempt that targeted the Turkish government and people on July 15, 2016, the Turkish ambassador to Qatar has said, adding that the terrorist organization FETO’s plot failed thanks to the vigilance of the Turkish people.

Talking to journalists at his official residence marking the 6th anniversary of the Democracy and National Unity Day that falls on July 15, Dr. Mustafa Goksu said that Turkiye achieved democratic gains with strengthened capabilities.

“Türkiye nipped this strife in the bud and was able to rebuild the state’s apparatus to ensure the crisis is not repeated, so that Türkiye remains a country enjoying democracy and peaceful transfer of power through elections and ballot boxes, and not ammunition boxes,” he said.

Those present on the occasion were Ayse Varank Arsalanturk and Sule Yilmaz, visiting members of two victim families who were martyred during the Turkish people’s stand against the failed military coup by a section of military forces.

The two women were special guests on the 6th anniversary event in Doha. They also visited the Turkish military base in Qatar and met community members separately.

Around 250 people were killed and nearly 1,500 people were injured in the horrific event on July 15, 2016. A collection of pictures displaying Turkish public facing armed military rebels and their sacrifices was one of the highlights of the event.

Paying his gratitude to the Qatari leadership and the people, Dr. Mustafa Goksu said that Türkiye has always praised the position of Qatar, which was one of the first countries to announce its solidarity with the constitutional legitimacy of the Republic of Türkiye, and rejected the coup attempt.

The Turkish envoy also acknowledged the solidarity expressed by the Qatari people with Türkiye through various means at that time. “Turkiye has not and will not forget Qatari stance in support of the constitutional legitimacy in Türkiye,” he stressed.

Türkiye hosts nearly 4 million displaced people including 3.7 million Syrians, who were forced to flee the devastation in their own country have been under the temporary protection of the Turkish State.

Dr. Goksu pointed out that Turkey has spent nearly $40 billion on the Syrians since 2011 in order to provide all kinds of service and assistance. On the other hand, Turkey supports dignified voluntary return of Syrians to Syria, and “thanks to our efforts, hundreds of thousands of Syrians were able to return back
to their homes”.

The envoy said, “The customs and traditions of the Turkish state, which are based on human values and dignity, require us to take the lead in the field of humanitarian and development assistance as well. The first World Humanitarian Summit was held in Istanbul in 2016. Turkey is the most generous country in the world on the basis of per capita humanitarian spending compared to national income.”

Talking about Türkiye’s role in regional and international issues, he said that along with achieving tangible goals that were set under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the country will not only raise the levels of peace and prosperity, but will at the same time enhance the contribution that
Türkiye makes to the region and the world. In this regard, he gave examples of Syria, Libya and the recent rapprochement between Turkiye and Gulf states.

He said that bilateral relations between Qatar and Turkiye are exemplary in all fields in order to ensure stability, peace and prosperity in the region and in the Islamic world.

“Turkey welcomes the first World Cup to be held in an Islamic country being hosted by Qatar; it will be successful as well as further enhance Qatar’s position on the world sports map as a major sports destination. We are closely following the process of organising the 2022 FIFA World Cup. President Erdogan gave us the green light to put all our efforts and capabilities in the service of the success of this event. through cooperation in the security field and in organising major events. We are like a brother waiting for his brother’s wedding,” he said.

On the economic situation in his country, Ambassador Mustafa Göksu said, “The performance of the Turkish economy appeared in a strong manner with the lifting of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the national income grew by 21.7% in the second quarter of this year, the second country with
the highest growth rate in the world after the United Kingdom.”

“The main indicators show that Turkish economic activity continued to maintain its strength in the third quarter of this year, supported by strong foreign demand,” he added. “There are some temporary challenges related to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the local currency, rising import bills and food prices,
and increasing inflation in the country. However, it is expected that the temporary factors affecting inflation expectations will lose their effect in the short term, and inflation will enter a downward trend in the last quarter of this year,” he noted.

The Turkish ambassador said that upon completion of establishing of ‘Istanbul Financial Center’, presently completed 81%, will be playing an important role in the field of financing at the regional and international levels, and the Gulf countries intend to participate in the center. “It is forecast that the center will be generating an income of $250 billion, as well as an added value that will be injected into the Turkish economy in a sustainable manner, whose total value is expected to reach more than $160 billion after 15 years of operation.”