The Presidency’s Directorate of Communications announced on Tuesday that a series of events would be held on Saturday across Türkiye and abroad to mark the anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The events will be part of the nationwide commemoration of victims of the attempt in 81 provinces and hot spots of public resistance against the putschists. A total of 251 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured while trying to stop putschists. Victims include police officers and soldiers killed in indiscriminate bombings and gunfire by pro-coup soldiers. The unprecedented public resistance against putschists changed the course of the coup, one of many in the brief history of the Republic of Türkiye.
The directorate said this year’s theme for the events would be “Heroes of the Century of Türkiye,” about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ambitious vision of democratic, economic and social reforms for the centenary of the republic. In a statement, the directorate said events will commemorate heroes of the “defense of the homeland” and “saga of national will’s victory” and emphasize the strong will and resolve of the nation.
The directorate will set up outdoor venues for commemoration events, including giant screens where videos regarding the resistance will be screened, in the capital Ankara, Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Trabzon, Konya, Sivas, Diyarbakır and Erzurum. Light mapping events related to the anniversary will be held at Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa terminal and Galata Tower. Also, in Istanbul, 3D screens installed at Taksim Square will give visitors insight into what transpired on July 15, 2016, and convey the stories of heroes of the fight against the coup attempt. The “July 15 Democracy and National Unity” train will also be on tour for the commemoration. A giant Turkish flag will be hung on the Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, which was renamed July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge after the coup attempt, to honor the memory of people killed by putschists on the bridge.
In six countries, including Sweden, Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, France, Belgium and Serbia, the directorate will hold panels on the occasion. The discussions will focus on people’s resistance to putschists and the dangers FETÖ poses to Türkiye and the world.
In New York’s Times Square, the directorate will broadcast videos about the “dark side” of FETÖ, whose fugitive leader, Fetullah Gülen, lives in Pennsylvania. An exhibition at the square will showcase the shoes of people killed by putschists.
Türkiye designated July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day in October 2016, and since then, nationwide events have been held on the occasion to remember the martyrs and celebrate the country’s democracy, which has been subject to military interventions since 1960. The coup attempt was the first time the nation exhibited unity and resisted the putschists. Except for police officers and anti-coup soldiers, the resistance was “unarmed,” with people blocking the roads to stop tanks and surrounding military bases.
In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Türkiye declared a state of emergency and managed to capture most suspects involved in the effort. A total of 289 lawsuits were filed against putschists and courts decided on the release or incarceration of more than 8,700 people in trials. Courts handed down aggravated lifetime imprisonment sentences for 1,634 defendants, while another 1,366 defendants were sentenced to life (with the possibility of parole). Others were handed down lower prison terms, while 2,870 defendants were acquitted, according to statistics by the nongovernmental organization July 15 Coup Trials Platform. The platform’s spokesperson Mehmet Alagöz says the appeals process continues in some trials while most are concluded. In Istanbul, 49 trials are still underway after higher courts overturned some convictions and ordered more severe sentences in some cases.
Along with trials and operations against putschists, FETÖ is under more scrutiny following the coup attempt. Police frequently carry out operations against members of the terrorist group, including those who were not involved in the coup attempt. FETÖ was already implicated in a string of crimes before the coup attempt and the putsch bid is viewed as something plotted by the group to stop operations and bring Fetullah Gülen back to Türkiye.
