Can Erözden
24 July 2016•Update: 25 July 2016
By Fatih Cakmak, Enes Kaplan, Sarp Ozer and Ali Hakan Der
ANKARA
The head of Turkey’s military, Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar, said on Sunday that the country’s soldiers and police will perform their duties successfully, as they currently do in the east and southeast.
Akar and several other high-ranking commanders were visiting Ankara's Police Special Operations Department to offer condolences to the colleagues of the 47 officers martyred during the coup attempt by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) members on July 15.
"Our soldiers and police officers will maintain their duties in providing security to our country and people in a determined way ... as they do in eastern and southeastern Turkey. We do not accept any dissension among soldiers and police," Akar told reporters.
"Soldiers and police are aware of this. We will stand shoulder to shoulder and try to fulfill our duties in the best way," he added.
Referring to the coup plotters, Akar stated that they cannot be seen as Turkish Armed Forces members: "They are vipers, terrorists in soldier’s uniforms. They will absolutely be punished in the heaviest way in Turkish law."
Alongside Akar, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said that Turkish military personnel, police, gendarmes and village guards were serving the people with heart and soul.
"The terrorists wearing military uniforms martyred special operations police officers here," Ala stated and added that those who carried out the attack cannot be the members of the armed forces or sons of the homeland.
Ala also said that the Turkish Armed Forces, police and gendarmerie remain together with their all units to meet the needs of the people.
General tours parliament
Akar also visited Turkish Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman on Sunday evening.
Kahraman said it was "good that the people protected their system and comprehended democracy”.
"Those who did the attack are not our glorious army", he added.
Akar said: "We - the real Turkish Armed Forces members - are deeply sorry that the attack against our parliament was made by terrorists wearing military uniforms and traitors.
“This attack is a disgrace in the history of the Turkish Armed Forces and the Republic of Turkey. I wish Allah to give us the opportunity to remove this disgrace by working in cooperation", Akar added.
Kahraman showed Akar the sections of the parliament building bombed by FETO during the failed coup.
Last week's deadly coup attempt occurred when rogue elements in the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country's democratically-elected government.
Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,100 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.
Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the ‘parallel state’.
* Anadolu Agency correspondent Can Erozden contributed to this report from Ankara.
