FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Washington D.C.- The Syrian American Council, America's largest and oldest Syrian-American grassroots organization, congratulates the Turkish people for their brave and clear rejection of the military coup attempt against their democratically elected government.

By standing up united in support of their constitutional democracy, the Turkish people and their political leaders have given hope to the people of the Middle East that military dictatorships can no longer be tolerated as a convenient form of government.  Turkish democracy appeared healthy and resilient due to the fact that all of the three main opposition parties have acted quickly and unequivocally to reject the military coup.

"The people of the Middle East are no longer ordained to be governed by either a military dictatorship or by a theocracy.  We call upon world leader to muster the courage and wisdom needed to uphold the principles of representative democracy in the region instead of political expediency" said Dr. Zaki Lababidi, the government relations chair of the Syrian American Council.