Since being posted on YouTube on July 6, the video for a song in English on Turkey's July 15 coup attempt has racked up over 300,000 views, including hundreds of thousands in the last four days, as the anniversary of the coup bid draws near.
The song My Beloved Turkey describes July 15, 2016 -- the night of the deadly coup attempt -- and how people felt in English.
It starts with the lyrics: "Fear froze in the dark / Ears turned deaf with a shot / Despair crawled in some hearts / Beloved Turkey was in danger."
The video features images of public resistance to the coup and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's video message posted after he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.
Turgay Evren, who wrote the song, told Anadolu Agency that through the song he wanted to tell the whole world what happened that fateful night and the feelings of Turkish people.
There are many songs in Turkish about the foiled coup, he said, yet Turkey has struggled to explain the deadly incident to the outside world.
"We wanted to make a work in English for those who live in other countries to explain what happened in Turkey and what Turkish people felt that night. That night, we had a great concern about the future of Turkey. We composed this song to tell of the people's resistance, their actions for democracy, and our martyrs. I wrote the lyrics of the English song with these feelings," he said.
The song is a unique effort to explain the July 15 coup attempt in English, he said, adding that more such works are needed.
The coup attempt last July, which martyred 249 people and left around 2,200 others injured, was committed by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.- based leader, Fetullah Gulen.
Swiss-based singer EK'rem -- the stage name of Muhammet Kahraman -- performs the song.
"Taking part in this project was the best way to do something for my country, my people, and martyrs. We are delighted to be governed by democracy and we want to continue our life in unity and brotherhood. We will never give up fighting for this, and we will never lose our hope," said the singer.
The song is dedicated to the July 15 martyrs who gave their blood in defense of Turkey's democracy.
Lyrics to My Beloved Turkey:
Fear froze in the dark
Ears turned deaf with a shot
Despair crawled in some hearts
Beloved Turkey was in danger
Courage took to the streets
Dreams stood before tanks
The jets hit determined feet
Martyrs reached the highest ranks
Long live democracy
Long live fraternity
Long live love and unity
Long live for our country
Tears froze on the cheeks
Prayers were at their peak
The pain in our souls was unique
The coup triggered anger
Mothers took to the streets
Fathers stood before tanks
The jets hit determined feet
Martyrs reached the highest ranks
