On Monday, Türkiye commemorates the eighth anniversary of the thwarted July 15, 2016 coup attempt, honouring the lives lost and celebrating national unity.
A commemorative event took place at the ambassador’s residence in Colombo, attended by numerous dignitaries and many other guests.
Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye in Colombo, His Excellency Semih Lütfü Turgut, addressed the gathering by highlighting the threat of terrorism. He spoke about how certain vested forces in exile attempted to overthrow a democratically elected government with the aid of a misguided few. He emphasized that the faith and loyalty of the people who supported the government played a crucial role in thwarting the coup attempt.
Designated as Democracy and National Unity Day since October 2016, July 15 is observed annually with nationwide events to honour those who sacrificed their lives resisting the coup and to recognize the nation’s bravery.
The attempted coup by FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader resulted in the deaths of over 250 people. Leaders from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to the fallen heroes.
Since its designation in October 2016, every year Türkiye marks July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day, with events held nationwide to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.
On the evening of July 15th, a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces attempted to stage a coup in various cities of Türkiye, particularly in Ankara and İstanbul.
The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.
FETO was behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
The attempt by FETO to overthrow the government began around 10 p.m. local time (1900GMT) on July 15, 2016, and was thwarted by 8 p.m. the next day.
Tanks brought Istanbul to a standstill as soldiers invaded the headquarters of the ruling party, took over the military high command building, seized control of the state broadcaster and announced that the army was in charge. Military aircraft and helicopters bombed the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Presidential Complex, the Police headquarters and the National Intelligence Organization’s premises.
Standing against the threat, the Turkish people courageously showed the world that they would not tolerate any attempt to thwart their will as expressed through their democratically elected government. They displayed a historic solidarity as they took to the streets and remained defiant.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consistently warned countries that support or host fugitive FETÖ members of the danger of doing so, as “FETÖ is a bloody terrorist group that hides its dark face under the guise of deception.”
Over the years, the international community has come to gradually understand that FETO is not a social movement but a dark and insidious terror group with political and economic aims.
After the coup attempt, FETO was declared a terror organization by various countries and international organizations. In October 2016, at its 43rd Council of Foreign Ministers’ session, the Organization of Islamic Conference declared it a terror organization.
Additionally, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus also declared FETO a terror organization, as did the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a December 2018 ruling.
As a result of Türkiye’s efforts at NATO leaders’ summit in Madrid, Spain in June 2022, FETO was named a terror group in the records of the alliance for the first time.
