Jointly organized by TÜRGEV, SETA, and KADEM, the panel titled “How Should the February 28 Coup Be Confronted?” was held on Wednesday, February 28, at 2:00 p.m. at the SETA Foundation in Istanbul.
20 March 2018
“How Should the February 28 Coup Be Confronted?” Panel
Jointly organized by TÜRGEV, SETA, and KADEM, the panel titled “How Should the February 28 Coup Be Confronted?” was held on Wednesday, February 28, at 2:00 p.m. at the SETA Foundation in Istanbul.
The panel was moderated by KADEM President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sare Aydın Yılmaz, with speakers Dr. Esra Albayrak, Dr. Fatmanur Altun, Dr. İsmail Çağlar, and Prof. Dr. Atilla Yayla sharing their experiences of the period, evaluating the outcomes of the coup, and reflecting on its implications for the present day.
Following her opening remarks on the February 28 process, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sare Aydın Yılmaz first invited Prof. Dr. Atilla Yayla to share his insights. He was followed by Dr. İsmail Çağlar, Director of Society and Media Studies at SETA; TÜRGEV Chairwoman Dr. Fatmanur Altun; and Dr. Esra Albayrak, President of the OIC Women’s Advisory Council.
The discussion emphasized that even twenty-one years after the postmodern military coup of February 28, the memories of the pressures and prohibitions imposed on society remain vivid. The panelists underlined that the coup was not limited to the military seizing control of the government—it also obstructed the exercise of fundamental personal rights and freedoms, depriving citizens of essential rights such as education, freedom of expression, and freedom of belief. They noted that society continues to pay the price for these violations.
“In Turkey, journalism, diplomacy, and the fields of culture and arts have always been run by a caste system formed by Western-oriented elites.”
Speaking from her own experience of living through and resisting February 28, Dr. Fatmanur Altun began her remarks by recalling her shock at seeing teachers and administrators enthusiastically implement February 28 measures in its aftermath. She explained that this entrenched caste system, dominated by Western-linked elites, was one of the main actors behind February 28.
The panel concluded with a Q&A session.
