Türkiye to grow stronger to prevent threat of another coup: Erdoğan
ISTANBUL
The Turkish government will resolutely continue building a great, powerful Türkiye so the country does not face more calamities like the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on July 16.
Erdoğan made a speech at the Commemoration for July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day in Istanbul's Saraçhane district.
Stressing that there are turning points in societies’ histories that are not forgotten throughout centuries and are passed down from generation to generation, President Erdoğan said: “Having foiled by sunrise in the morning the coup attempt that started with sunset in the evening, our people achieved such a great victory on July 15 relying on the strength they draw from the faith in their hearts.”
President Erdoğan stated: “Having dispersed with the Çanakkale Victory the dark clouds that had gathered over them with the Balkan Wars, our people had added with the National Struggle a new ring to their history, which is full of glory and dignity. On the night of July 15, we together as the 85 million people once again proved it to foes and friends alike that our Republic, not the first but the last state of ours, will live forever on the basis of the superiority of national will.”
MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli also joined the commemoration.
On the night of July 15, a small military junta, accused of being members of the FETÖ, attempted to overthrow the elected government using heavy weaponry, including fighter jets, helicopters and tanks.
Thousands of citizens across the country went out on the streets in a bid to stop the coup plotters through the night when more than 250 people were killed and over 2,000 others injured while resisting coup soldiers.
Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge was shut down by soldiers at around 10 p.m. and the parliament was under rocket attack. Jets flew by buildings in Istanbul and Ankara, and the state broadcaster TRT was taken hostage.
Government officials took turns on various television broadcasters until early in the morning on July 16, reassuring citizens that they remained on duty.
After the failed coup, July 15 was declared a public holiday in Türkiye.
Parliament unanimously had passed a bill to mark the anniversary as “Democracy and National Solidarity Day.”
In the immediate aftermath of the coup, a number of structures and public spaces were renamed, most notably Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge, which was retitled the “July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge.