Dark Hands at Work in Tunisia

We strongly condemn and denounce the perpetrators and instigators—both domestic and foreign—of the tragic coup attempt in our friendly and brotherly nation of Tunisia. No coup attempt lacking constitutional legitimacy, distorting constitutional articles to stifle parliamentary will, and suspending the democratic process can ever be accepted.

Tunisian President Kais Saied's freezing of all parliamentary powers, suspension of parliamentary immunity, dissolution of parliament under the pretext of "extraordinary circumstances", and assuming the role of Chief Prosecutor under the guise of uncovering corruption files constitutes nothing less than a coup struck against the national will.

These extraordinary circumstances cited as a pretext for the coup are stale narratives deployed by every coup perpetrator. It is not surprising that groups led by UAE-aligned parties took to the streets in the capital to cause unrest. Raiding the offices of the Ennahda Movement—which came to power with overwhelming popular favor—and conducting attacks with stones and sticks against those inside is unacceptable. It is notable that the President, known for his stance against Ennahda since the 2019 elections, did everything to paralyze government executive capacity, while foreign-funded social media accounts organized street protests, paving the stones leading to a coup. In such a situation, far from executing a coup, shouldn't the priority be supporting the legitimate government representing national sovereignty and cutting off foreign interventions?

As in every sinister attempt, it is not difficult to estimate that there are those waiting to see "if our boys can pull this off." We have watched this film many times in our own country and other nations, particularly over the last 20 years.

As in almost all crises experienced by Islamic nations, we observe in this crisis that a government elected by the free will of the people, the unity and solidarity of our Tunisian brothers, their stance against exploitation, and their exercise of self-determination are being targeted.

In this latest crisis, we witness once again that those who view Muslim lands as their backyard will not hesitate to attempt every form of malice through collaborators left and nurtured in our midst.

Following the coup attempt, we support the declaration of Tunisian Speaker of Parliament and Ennahda Movement Leader Rached Ghannouchi, affirming that the democratically elected parliament and government remain on duty, and urging the people to peacefully struggle to restore democracy.

As the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World, encompassing 354 member NGOs across 66 countries, we believe our Tunisian brothers will overcome this trial as well. Turkey, possessing deep historical ties with other Muslim nations and the region in particular, must continue to stand by Tunisia and the brotherly Tunisian people.

Respectfully announced to the public.

UNIW