Türkiye remembers bloody 1980 military coup
ANKARA
Türkiye has commemorated the 43th anniversary of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup during which then Chief of the General Staff Kenan Evren toppled the coalition government and dismissed the Turkish parliament.
The coup marked the third time the Turkish military took hold of the democratically elected government and declared a state of emergency, which saw executions, assaults, and human rights violations. The parliament was dissolved, the constitution was revoked and all political parties were shut down, while their assets were seized.
The National Security Council, consisting of Evren — who later became president — the commanders of the Turkish land, air and naval forces, and the commander of the gendarmerie forces took control of all the levers of power.
Over 650,000 people were taken into custody, 230,000 people were put on trial, 1,683,000 people were blacklisted, 517 people received the death penalty and 50 of the death penalties were executed.
The 1980 military coup was launched “to bring peace to a polarized society where thousands of people were being killed on the streets,” according to the coup generals and their supporters.
Some 14,000 people were deprived of Turkish citizenship, nearly 1,000 people were tried for being members of prohibited organizations, and 30,000 people, including teachers, were dismissed from their posts. Around 1,000 movies were also banned, and dozens of journalists faced prison sentences of up to thousands of years.
The coup is known as the bloodiest military intervention in Türkiye’s history, coming after years of political unrest that claimed hundreds of lives. A further 299 died due to torture and unhealthy prison conditions.
In 1982, a constitution prepared by the coup plotters won 92 percent approval in a “controlled” referendum.
