July 15 will never be forgotten, vows Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has affirmed his enduring commitment to remembering the 2016 failed coup attempt and its supporting factions on the occasion of Democracy and National Unity Day.

“July 15 is our glory, dignity and medal of honor. July 15 is a declaration of national will, a proclamation of independence,” Erdoğan said speaking at a ceremony commemorating the events of July 15, 2016, in Istanbul.

Expressing gratitude to the veterans and acknowledging the sacrifices made on that fateful night, Erdoğan stated, “We are sending a clear message to the focal points waiting in ambush. I declare once again on the seventh anniversary of July 15: We will not allow it to be forgotten, even if it is 70 years.”

Erdoğan also expressed appreciation for the citizens who took to the streets during the coup attempt, preventing putschists from gaining control of critical locations. He conveyed his greetings to the Turkish citizens worldwide who followed the events closely, as well as to “the true friends of Türkiye.”

“We demonstrated how people of all ages, backgrounds and political views can unite overnight when their independence is at stake,” he said.

On July 15, 2016, Türkiye was not faced with an ordinary coup attempt, but a total occupation attempt, Erdoğan added, noting that the putschists targeted the Presidential Palace, parliament and other key government buildings.

The failed coup d’état was orchestrated by a small group within the Turkish Armed Forces, members of the terror organization FETÖ. The plotters aimed to overthrow key state institutions, including the government and Erdoğan.

“There are certain milestones in nations’ histories. To us, July 15 is such a milestone. It is one of the most important phases of our a-thousand-year-long struggle to make the Anatolian lands, we live on, our homeland, and our two-hundred-year-long struggle for survival here,” the president said.

Throughout the night, government officials appeared on various television channels, assuring citizens that they remained in charge. Erdoğan’s initial messages were broadcast around 12:23 a.m., and he later conducted a FaceTime interview with CNN Türk at approximately 1 a.m., urging citizens to take to the streets.

Thousands of people responded to his call, flooding the streets to counter the coup plotters.

The failed coup attempt resulted in the tragic loss of over 300 lives, while more than 2,100 individuals sustained injuries.