As Türkiye marked the anniversary of the failed July 15 coup attempt on Tuesday, Turkuvaz Media Group, the parent company of Daily Sabah, organized a commemorative program in Ankara to honor those killed while resisting the putsch.
Held at the July 15 Democracy Museum with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the event remembered the public resistance through speeches, a panel discussion, documentary screenings, musical performances and an exhibition.
Turkuvaz Media Group, one of the country's largest media organizations, published a series of exclusive reports before, during and after the coup attempt and has organized annual commemorations to remember the victims of the attack.
The media group was among the targets of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which orchestrated the coup attempt, because of its reporting exposing the organization's activities and its infiltration of state institutions and parts of the private sector.
The program opened with a minute of silence in honor of those who lost their lives during the July 15, 2016, coup attempt and veterans who have since died, followed by the Turkish national anthem. Takvim newspaper columnist Ekrem Kızıltaş delivered the welcome remarks before opening speeches by Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gökhan Yazgı, Bilge Gürs, chairperson of the Foundation for the Solidarity of Martyrs' Families and Veterans of Türkiye, and Ruhi Ersoy, chief adviser to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chair.
Speaking at the event, Yazgı said July 15 represented the culmination of a plot that had been pursued for decades against the Turkish state.
"When we look at history, we see a long record of attempts to eliminate the Turkish state. This museum was established to preserve the memory of July 15 and ensure it is never forgotten," he said.
"July 15 is the day when people of faith triumphed over those who held power. It marked the execution of a centuries-old plan, but, by the grace of God, that 40-year treacherous scheme was thwarted," the deputy minister added.
"On July 15, truth confronted falsehood. The calculations made in philosophical circles failed in Türkiye's public squares. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, declaring that he recognized no power above the will of the people, and our nation resisted the coup attempt together."
"The message written in the blood of our martyrs and veterans is that this country will never again experience military interventions like Sept. 12. We will never allow these events to be forgotten," Yazgı said.
Kızıltaş described July 15 as a turning point for Türkiye, saying the country had become stronger in defending its democracy and combating terrorism after the failed coup attempt.
"We are only now beginning to understand what could have happened had the July 15 coup attempt succeeded. We can see that some key figures are still being protected abroad. Those benefiting from life in the U.S. and several European countries still dream of deceiving Türkiye's 86 million people," he stated.
"Since July 15, Türkiye has been able to fight terrorism more effectively and has made significant progress in safeguarding the will of the nation," Kızıltaş added.
Gürs became emotional as she recalled losing both her husband and her father during the coup attempt.
"I stand before you as someone from a family with two martyrs and two veterans. On July 15, I lost both my father and my husband while serving this nation. Ten years have passed, but we have never forgotten that day," she said.
"Think of those who sold themselves for $1 – the helpless, the shameless and the defeated. Then think of the heroes who stood against them," she emphasized.
"Our foundation was established to protect the families of our martyrs and veterans, and we have pledged that no martyr's relative will be left in sorrow and no veteran will ever stand alone," Gürs said.
Following the speeches, a Quran recitation by Muhammet Mansur Sağır preceded a documentary chronicling the events of July 15 through archival footage and firsthand accounts. The documentary included an opening message by Edoğan.
The program also featured folk music performances by the General Directorate of Fine Arts Choir honoring the civilian resistance that night, when 251 people were killed while confronting the coup plotters.
The event also featured a panel titled "July 15: National Unity and Democracy," focusing on preserving the national will, strengthening public memory and examining democracy through the perspectives of the rule of law, security, victims' families and veterans on the 10th anniversary of the deadly attempt.
Moderated by A Haber anchor Merve Türkay, the panel brought together Deputy Police Chief Mustafa Çalışkan, attorney Hüseyin Aydın and Imbat Muğlu, deputy chairperson of the Association of July 15 Democracy Martyrs, Veterans and Victims of Terrorism. Gürs was also among the speakers.
Çalışkan said FETÖ had infiltrated state institutions on a massive scale, describing the group as "like a cancer."
"We dismissed 40,000 police personnel. This was not an ordinary organization or one directed by just a handful of people. It was a consortium," he said.
"During our training, we were taught to take cover when under fire. But on July 15, we advanced toward armed soldiers because of our faith in our nation. That night shattered 30 to 40 years of my beliefs. We are trained never to fire on women, children, the elderly or civilians," he said.
Çalışkan added that the country's response to the coup attempt had reshaped the future.
"Anyone considering a coup from now on will have to think twice. The Turkish nation is no longer a nation that hides when it sees a G3 rifle. Our police officers fought not only in the streets but also through the media. Staging a coup is no longer a simple matter," he said.
Hüseyin Aydın, an attorney for Erdoğan, said the group's efforts to seize influence within the judiciary had begun years before the failed coup attempt.
"Our confrontation with the judiciary began with the attempt to target the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and later the MIT trucks case. Like other state institutions, the judiciary had been heavily infiltrated," he said.
"By 2012, nearly all senior judicial positions were under the organization's control. The first major attempt came with the Dec. 17-25 investigations. Thanks to the determination of our president, that effort failed," he said.
"About five months later, they focused heavily on the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors elections but narrowly lost. As a result, they failed to secure the influence they sought within the judiciary. By 2016, their primary objective was to prevent their own purge," Aydın said.
He added that the group's infiltration dated back decades.
"They had already taken control of the state's sensors in the 1990s," he said.
Gürs said the foundation, established by law, bears a significant responsibility to preserve the memory of those who sacrificed their lives.
"Keeping our collective memory alive is essential. We must preserve this memory for both the families of our martyrs and our veterans so that society always remains vigilant against terrorist organizations," she said, adding, "As relatives of martyrs, we have only one request: that our nation never forget those who gave their lives."
Muğlu stressed the importance of preserving public awareness to prevent similar threats in the future.
"The most important task is to keep our collective memory alive. I spent many years fighting terrorism and served alongside Ömer Halisdemir," he said.
"Ömer changed the course of history. Like Hasan Tahsin, he fired the first shot. Our greatest concern is that after FETÖ, new organizations will take its place. We will never again surrender our will," Muğlu said.
Halisdemir was one of the key heroic soldiers who resisted against coup plotters and was killed in a heinous act on the coup night.
Before the traditional serving of “ashura,” a dessert commonly shared in remembrance of the deceased, participants visited an exhibition by Ayşe Vanlıoğlu titled "The Sultans' Prayer Shirts," which presented the personal stories of those who lost their lives during the coup attempt.
The choice of venue also carried symbolic significance. The July 15 Democracy Museum was established to help visitors better understand the failed coup attempt and to raise awareness of the clandestine and unlawful activities of FETÖ.
The museum features eight thematic halls. Through digital installations and interactive exhibits, the galleries recount the events of July 15, the public's resistance to the coup plotters and the country's return to democratic order.
With the exception of its distinctive elliptical dome measuring 57 by 75 meters, the museum is built underground, symbolizing the unity of the Turkish nation. Visitors exit through an open-air valley leading to the July 15 Martyrs Memorial.
On the night of July 15, 2016, FETÖ tried to overthrow the government but failed, killing civilians and security personnel during its campaign that day and the following night.
Following the failed coup attempt, Turkish authorities launched a massive crackdown on the group, arresting thousands of its members embedded across various sectors, including state institutions and the military.
Türkiye's fight against the group continues, as authorities say not all of its members have been fully uncovered, while some senior figures managed to flee the country and find shelter in several Western countries, particularly the U.S.
