President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that Türkiye opened a new chapter after the failed July 15, 2016, coup attempt was defeated through public resistance, arguing that subsequent reforms strengthened the country’s democratic and institutional resilience.
Erdoğan made the remarks in a written message sent to a symposium titled “July 15 in Its 10th Year: Political and Legal Dimensions,” organized by the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Political and Legal Affairs Department at the party’s headquarters in Ankara.
He said the true intentions of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which is responsible for the coup attempt, became clear on the night of July 15.
Erdoğan accused the group of exploiting people’s religious and charitable sentiments for four decades under the guise of service, donations and education.
“The successful defeat of the coup attempt through the resistance of our cherished nation opened an entirely new chapter for Türkiye,” Erdoğan noted.
He commemorated the 253 people killed during the coup attempt and expressed gratitude to those who were wounded.
Erdoğan said Türkiye had both removed what he described as a clandestine terrorist network embedded in state institutions and taken measures to safeguard its democracy.
He identified the presidential system of government, introduced following a 2017 referendum, as one of the most significant changes made after the coup attempt.
The president said the system eliminated dual authority within the executive branch, accelerated decision-making and strengthened the state’s ability to manage crises.
He cited Türkiye’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Feb. 6 earthquakes and what he described as the latest Iran-centered crisis as examples of the system’s effectiveness.
Turkish leader also vowed that Türkiye would continue its campaign against FETÖ within the framework of the law.
“We will never take a step back in the fight against FETÖ,” he stressed, adding that authorities would continue working to prevent another attempted coup.
