New administrative system in Turkey derives legitimacy from will of nation

ANKARA

A new administrative system in Turkey, which was accepted by a plebiscite, derives its legitimacy entirely from the free will of the nation, Turkey's parliament speaker said Sunday.

Mustafa Sentop issued a message for the 41st anniversary of the military coup that occurred Sept. 12, 1980.

Sentop emphasized that the declaration of the military coup and subsequent developments marked a tragic period in Turkey's social, political and democratic history in terms of its consequences.

"We have completely destroyed the tutelage within our current strong political structure and brought our beloved nation and democracy together with a structure that has been saved from the history of black spots,” he said.

He stressed that a path was completely closed to the “evil-doers who cherish dictatorship enthusiasm” and thought they could only achieve it through military coups and junta.

He also expressed hope that a new Constitution, which will be made soon, will be the guarantee of content that will root out any enthusiasm for coups.

Forty years ago, Chief of General Staff Kenan Evren, the leading figure of the coup, appeared on television and declared a military intervention, officially confirming the coup that would drastically affect the country in the upcoming years.

Torture, ill-treatment and unhealthy conditions at prisons left 299 people dead. That still haunts the conscience of the Turkish nation.

Some survivors said they went through physical, mental and spiritual torture for years.

More than 650,000 people were detained and 230,000 tried for mainly political reasons. A total of 50 people were executed.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar