The West should also listen to the CHP on FETÖ

Criticizing the West's attitude towards the coup as a humiliating one, a member of Turkey's main opposition party has also blamed the government for the lack of support shown to Turkey. "The government has lost credibility in the world," said Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, an Istanbul parliamentarian from the Republican People's Party (CHP), when commenting on Western suspicion about the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) being behind the coup. "The West should ask why the CHP, which has been at odds with the government on almost everything, has the same view about FETÖ being behind the coup," said Salıcı, who is the CHP's representative in parliament's foreign relations commission.

As some are unconvinced by the government's narrative, it seems your views about the coup and especially the aftermath have gained more importance than ever.

We had very strong and legitimate criticisms against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) on July 14, a day before the coup. We thought the government was taking Turkey in a very negative direction. On July 15, we said, "We are not supporting (President) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan or the government, but we are supporting Turkey, without forgetting our criticisms." Turkey has suffered a tremendous trauma and the reaction shown by the opposition both within and outside of parliament proves that democracy has taken root in Turkey.

How do you evaluate the Western approach?

There was a condescending, humiliating attitude. It was like, "A coup can happen frequently in this geography, it happened to you, too." One would have expected a more appreciative stance toward all the people who prevented the coup.

Right after the coup, as the members of the foreign affairs commission, both from the...