The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned an attempted coup in the Republic of Turkey on Friday, after a group of military officers tried to disrupt the stability and the democracy of the country.
“It is unacceptable to reverse the democratic path that the people of Turkey enjoyed in the recent times of their history. This was unfortunate and we are very glad to hear that the evil forces who tried to turn Turkey into a violence ground have been defeated’’, said the President.
The President added that Somalia is fully supporting the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, urging that the constitutional order and the democratic institutions should be respected in order to uphold the momentum of the successes the country has registered, making it one of the most influential countries in the world.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has concluded by wishing the people and the leaders of Turkey to continue enjoying unity, peace, stability and prosperity, which have been achieved through exercising democratic values and respecting the constitution.
Meanwhile, at least 90 people were killed and 1,154 others wounded across Turkey during the coup attempt, and a total of 1,563 military officers were detained, a senior Turkish official said on Saturday morning.
State-run news agency says some 200 unarmed soldiers, who left from Turkey’s military headquarters had surrendered to police.
Speaking at a news conference, Erdogan said the attempt to push him from power was “an act of treason” and that those behind the plot would “pay a heavy price”. He said he would stay with his “people” and not go anywhere.
There were still pockets of resistance in Istanbul and the capital Ankara into Saturday morning, the Reuters news agency reported, quoting an official who said he did not expect them to last long.
In Ankara, jets dropped bombs over the Bestepe district, where the presidential palace is located, with plumes of black smoke seen rising early on Saturday, NTV reported.
There were also reports of an explosion at the parliament building in the capital.
