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Democracy and rule of law are shared values of NATO Allies. On the first anniversary of the coup attempt in Turkey I reiterate my strong message that any attempt to undermine democracy in any of our Allied countries is unacceptable.
Immediately after the coup attempt I strongly condemned it and expressed NATO’s solidarity with our valued ally Turkey. I also visited Ankara in the aftermath of the coup attempt and still remember the shock I felt seeing the damage inflicted at the Parliament building by the bombardments of the coup plotters.
On this important occasion I once again pay homage to the memories of those who lost their lives during the critical hours of the coup attempt and pay tribute to the Turkish people who stood up against this heinous act in defence of its elected government and democratic institutions.
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