Altun labels July 15 failed coup as 'invasion attempt'

ANKARA

On the occasion of Democracy and National Unity Day, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has expressed that Türkiye faced an attack that appeared to be a coup attempt but was, in fact, an invasion attempt on July 15, 2016.

In an interview with daily Hürriyet, Altun revealed that following the incident, mass arrests were carried out, resulting in the detention of at least 100,000 individuals through over 170,000 operations for being affiliated with the coup attempt.

On the night of July 15, 2016, a small group within the Turkish Armed Forces, alleged to be members of the FETÖ, orchestrated a coup d'état against key state institutions, including the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

They attempted to seize control of several places in Ankara, Istanbul and elsewhere, such as the Asian side entrance of the Bosphorus Bridge, but failed to do so after forces loyal to the state defeated them.

Throughout the night, government officials took turns appearing on various television channels, providing reassurance to citizens that they remained on duty.

Erdoğan's initial messages were transmitted around 12:23 a.m. At approximately 1 a.m., Erdoğan conducted a FaceTime interview with CNN Türk, where he called upon citizens to take to the streets. "There is no power higher than the power of the people. Let them do what they will at the public squares and airports," he declared. Thousands of citizens responded to Erdoğan's call, flooding the streets in an effort to thwart the coup plotters.

The coup attempt resulted in the deaths of over 300 people, with more than 2,100 sustaining injuries. Multiple government buildings, including the Turkish parliament and the Presidential Palace, were targeted and bombed from the air.

In the aftermath of the failed coup, July 15 was designated as a public holiday in Türkiye. The parliament unanimously passed a bill recognizing the anniversary as "Democracy and National Unity Day."

As a testament to the significance of the events, numerous structures and public spaces were renamed. Most notably, Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge was retitled as the "July 15 Martyrs' Bridge."

Meanwhile, the commemoration program to take place at the parliament is expected to commence with a photography exhibition titled "July 15 Democracy and National Solidarity Day" and a screening of a short film. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will deliver a speech during the exhibition.

Afterward, a ceremony will be held in front of the July 15 Martyrs' Monument. Then carnations will be placed in the area where the bomb struck the parliament garden during the coup attempt. Erdoğan and Kurtulmuş will address the participants at the ceremony, honoring the memory of those affected by the coup attempt.