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Community Information Service
August 4, 2016 / No:979

ATAA's Message Regarding the Current Situation in Turkey
 
Dear members and friends of ATAA:

As the preeminent organization representing the Turkish American community in the USA, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) stands in solidarity with the Republic of Turkey and strongly condemns the coup attempt on July 15th. This condemnation is shared by all Turkish people, regardless of their political, religious, or ethnic orientation.
 
The Turkish Government, Turkish Armed Forces, the National Intelligence Organization, and the entire Turkish media as well as the three major opposition parties are all united in their opinion and findings that the coup was planned by Fethullah Gulen and his followers. There is no doubt that all those who are involved in this heinous act committed against the constitutional order and secular structure of the Republic of Turkey will soon be brought to justice and punished accordingly.
 
ATAA applauds the maturity and dedication exhibited by the overwhelming majority of Turkish population to the rule of law, secularism and democratic principles. At the same time, ATAA believes and hopes that the Turkish Government will show the same respect and dedication to civil liberties and democratic rights of the people while helping to heal the wounds inflicted by the July 15th coup attempt.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, stated almost a century ago that:

" Those who use religion for their own benefit are detestable. We are against such efforts and will not allow it. Those who use religion in such a manner have fooled our people; it is against just such people that we have fought and will continue to fight."  
 

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ATAA, representing over 60 local chapters and 500,000 Turkish Americans throughout the United States, serves locally and in Washington DC to empower the Turkish American community through civic engagement, and to support strong US-Turkish relations through education and advocacy.  Established in 1979, ATAA is the largest, democratically elected Turkish American membership organization in the United States.  As a non-faith based organization, ATAA is open to people of diverse backgrounds.  The ATAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed under the laws of the District of Columbia. To learn more about ATAA, please visit www.ataa.org. 

 

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© Entire contents copyright 2016 by the Assembly of Turkish American Associations. All rights reserved. 
 
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