CHP registers 30,000 complaints over government’s post-coup attempt measures

ANKARA

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has registered the complaints of around 30,000 people negatively affected by government measures to clear the state of suspected members of the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), believed to be behind the failed July 15 coup, a CHP official has said. 

“We have held face-to-face meetings with more than 4,000 people in the last two months. We have also received appeals via e-mail and telephone,” CHP Party Assembly member Gamze Taşçıer told daily Cumhuriyet on Sept. 14. 

Taşçıer said the number of cases that the party has recorded since July 15 is currently around 30,000, showing that the government’s sweeping actions are creating a new group of victims. 

The government has removed around 170,000 civil servants over suspected links to FETÖ through state of emergency decree laws in the aftermath of the coup attempt, detaining and arresting thousands of officials.

“We direct the received complaints to the relevant government offices, as this process is being run by the government. But in doing so we are also careful to not harm the ongoing investigation process. Our sole concern is the rule of law,” Taşçıer also said. 

She added that there are “too many inconsistencies” in identifying and imposing measures on Gülenists.
“In one example, two siblings were attending a Gülen-linked school. After the coup attempt, the school was closed. Their mother, who was working at the Education Ministry, was suspended but their father, who was working at the Health Ministry, is continuing his job. The family has been told that the mother was suspended because of the school their children attended. This shows that there are conflicting implementations between institutions,” Taşçıer said. 

“Our demand is for a halt to such implementations that will create new sufferings. If one is linked to FETÖ, he or she could be prosecuted. But the victimization of his or her family members is not right. If the rule of law and democracy do not prevail in this process, we will only play into the hands of the terrorists,” she added.