Yemeni Nobel laureate joins anti-coup rally in Ankara

Karman, a human right activist and journalist, praised the heroism and courage of the Turkish people who faced bullets and tanks for the sake of peace and democracy on the night of July 15.

“It all reminds me [of] Arab youths’ heroic fight [during the Arab spring]. Today, we see rare heroes whose names will now remain engraved in public memory,” she told Anadolu Agency.

Karman said those who stayed silent during the coup bid were as same as the putschists. “Those who remained blind and voiceless are part of the coup attempt,” she said.

She also slammed the Western reaction to the coup plot. “I was disappointed. What kind of madness is this?”

She praised the global message of resistance given out by those who bravely stood against the coup. “[By] resisting the coup attempt in unison, Turkish people have shown how a nation can be great… Turkey’s determination to struggle for democracy has become an inspiration to people fighting for freedom [all over the world],” the activist added.

Since the coup attempt on July 15, thousands of people have continued to flock to public squares to protest against the bid, chanting anti-coup slogans.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly coup attempt, which martyred more than 230 people and injured nearly 2,200 others, was organized by U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen's followers and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization.

Gulen is also accused of running 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