Davutoğlu vows to ‘erase all trace’ of Turkey’s coups

Davutoğlu’s remarks on May 13 came a day after the funeral of Kenan Evren, the mastermind of the military coup in 1980, who passed away on May 10 at the age of 97 at a hospital in the Turkish capital Ankara.

“We will erase all reminders of the coups,” he said at an election rally of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the western province of Kütahya.

Turkey underwent major military coups in May 27, 1960 and Sept. 12, 1980. 

Davutoğlu slammed main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for mentioning President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in relation to Evren, stating that “nobody could attack the president.”

He also accused opposition parties of hypocrisy for “presenting themselves as anti-coup politicians” after the death of the 1980 coup leader but never displaying a “true stance” against military coups.

Davutoğlu also stated that the three opposition parties represented in parliament had cast “no” votes when the AKP proposed an amendment package years ago that would have allowed the trial for the 1980 coup leaders.

After a subsequent constitutional amendment allowing for trials to take place, an Ankara high criminal court sentenced Evren to life imprisonment on June 18, 2014, along with fellow coup leader ex-General Tahsin Şahinkaya.

The trial of Evren and Şahinkaya began in April 2012, with the prosecution claiming that the two had attempted to “eliminate” the Turkish constitution and override the parliament. Both generals were also demoted to the rank of private.

Neither Evren nor Şahinkaya had attended court proceedings against them, citing poor health, and instead appeared via video link from hospital.

Both defendants also lodged appeals against their sentences with the Supreme Court of Appeals, which has yet to announce its final verdict in the case.