Türkiye to mark July 15 anniversary with Ankara ceremony

Communications Director Burhanettin Duran announced on Monday that Türkiye will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt with a special ceremony at Baskent Millet Garden in the capital on Wednesday. The event, themed "Our Will, Our Victory," will be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and is expected to draw thousands of citizens marking Democracy and National Unity Day.

'No power above national will'

Duran said the program would honor the public resistance to the coup attempt and reaffirm the country’s commitment to democracy and national sovereignty. "We will remember our cherished martyrs with mercy, gratitude, and prayers, express our gratitude to our heroic veterans, and once again declare together, in the strongest possible terms, that no power can stand above the national will," he said. The ceremony aims to express gratitude to veterans while remembering the 252 people who lost their lives during the failed takeover.

FETO orchestrated defeated coup bid

The defeated coup bid was plotted and carried out by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fethullah Gulen, leaving 252 people killed and 2,734 wounded. Duran noted that the "epic struggle" written by the Turkish people through their determination on July 15 would be kept alive with the same faith, resolve, and spirit of unity. The Communications Director made the announcement on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, emphasizing that the commemoration would preserve the memory of the popular resistance that thwarted the military takeover.