Turkish leaders reach crucial consensus after failed coup

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met the leaders of Turkey's ruling party as well as two major opposition parties in Ankara, a presidential spokesman said Monday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met behind closed doors with ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party head and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli, said presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

Erdogan thanked the leaders for their "clear attitude towards the rule of law, freedom, and democracy on the night of July 15," when rogue military elements launched a failed military coup.

The president stressed that a spirit of shared unity was the most important tool for tackling any kind of problem, Kalin said in a written statement.

"The leaders reached consensus over the effective use of political dialogue mechanisms to find permanent solutions to mutual problems," he said.

Erdogan also said the fight against all security threats, including the terrorist PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) – the latter blamed for carrying out the coup – would be maintained with determination, the spokesman noted.

On Sunday, Erdogan sent a letter to the leaders of the ruling AK Party, CHP, and MHP, all of them represented in Turkey’s parliament.

"The armed coup attempt by the FETO terrorist group aiming to demolish the democratic state ruled by a constitution, fundamental rights and liberties, and the Republic of Turkey was prevented by the brave resistance of our people, who were strongly faithful to its democracy," said the letter.

"The Turkish people shouldered important responsibilities of all of our institutions through their decisive stance against the coup attempt, and now we expect our political parties to fulfill the same responsibilities in this extremely critical period when we need to stand in solidarity," the letter added.

The Turkish government has repeatedly said the deadly failed coup, 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 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.