President Erdoğan inaugurates July 15 Democracy Museum

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated a museum dedicated to democracy on July 15 – on the fifth anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup when FETÖ attempted to seize power by force.

Located across the presidential complex in the capital of Ankara, the July 15 Democracy Museum is to remind visitors of the spirit of unity of Turks that foiled the coup attempt, while also telling the insidious intentions of the FETÖ terror group.

Erdoğan toured the museum with a group of high-level political leaders including parliament speaker Mustafa Şentop, Vice President Fuat Oktay and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli. Relatives of those who lost their lives on the night of the coup, and veterans were also present.

After the inauguration, Erdoğan at a commemorative event at the Presidential Complex said Turkey will continue to be on the alert against all terrorist organizations, FETÖ in particular.

“Come what may, our struggle will continue until the last member of FETÖ is ‘neutralized’, punished, and erased from records,” he said.

Turkish authorities use the word “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Separately, addressing the nation in a televised broadcast, President Erdoğan said terror groups and those behind them can never realize their agenda as Turks would not spare them as demonstrated on the night of July 15, 2016, he added.

The Turkish leader said that those who posed threats to Turkey through terrorism unwittingly strengthened the national unity and harmony, and cannot slow its development.

FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

July 15 is now marked as Democracy and National Unity Day in Turkey, a national holiday. Commemorative events are held across the country.