A dark stain on Turkish Democracy: September 12, 1980
September 12 is the anniversary of the coup that left a black mark on the history of Turkish democracy.
- Turkey
- Published Date: 11:53 | 12 September 2023
- Modified Date: 02:43 | 12 September 2023
Over the course of 41 years, Türkiye has accepted 19 constitutional amendment packages and made a total of 184 changes in an effort to erase the remnants of the coup, restore democratic rights, and expand the political arena. However, the marks left by September 12th have not been completely erased from either the Constitution or the political landscape.
During the 1980 coup process, all fundamental rights and freedoms were suspended, and thousands of people, including the Prime Minister and opposition party leaders, were sent to prisons.