Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi visited the headquarters of the elite Special Operations Police in Ankara on Sunday, where he exchanged greetings of Qurban Bayram, or Eid al-Adha, with police officers.
The occasion was also a tribute to members of Special Operations slaughtered by military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
Speaking there, Çiftçi said the Special Operations Directorate has repeatedly demonstrated what sacrifice meant since its inception. “On the night of July 15, an act of betrayal by those who sold their souls beyond the ocean took place,” he said, referring to FETÖ’s leader Fetullah Gülen, who was residing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the United States, during the coup attempt.
“Those traitors aiming at our nation’s will bombed the Special Operations Directorate, whose members have always been loyal to God, their homeland, the nation and the state. That dark night, however, was illuminated by heroes who acted under the leadership of our president, by heroes who became a member of this haven of martyrs,” he said.
A total of 51 police officers were killed at the headquarters of Special Operations Police in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district when F-16 fighter jets commanded by putschists carried out two strikes on the building where police officers were mobilized to counter putschists attempting to take over the capital.
“As the sons and daughters of this noble nation, many of you spend holidays away from your families and loved ones, working on duty to ensure the peace and security of our people. Therefore, if we are able to celebrate a holiday in peace and safety, if there is happiness instead of tears in mothers’ eyes and joy instead of sorrow in children’s eyes, if holidays truly feel like holidays, it is thanks to your sacrifice. We know very well that the peace enjoyed by this nation is often the result of your sleepless nights and the holidays you spend serving on duty,” Çiftçi told the police officers.
Çiftçi stated that he remembered the martyrs with mercy, gratitude and appreciation, and wished good health to the veterans. Thanking the parents of the Special Operations police officers as well, Çiftçi said, “You are a source of pride and confidence for this nation. Both our state and our people recognize and take pride in your sacrifices. May God preserve our unity and solidarity. May He protect our heroic security forces from all dangers.”
