Türkiye commemorates people killed in July 15 defeated coup

Türkiye on Friday is commemorating the people killed during the July 15, 2016 defeated coup attempt. The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. The attempt by FETÖ to overthrow the government began around 10 p.m. local time (1900GMT) on July 15, 2016 and was thwarted by 8 p.m. the next day. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has consistently warned countries that support or host fugitive FETÖ members of the danger of doing so, as 'FETÖ is a bloody terror group that hides its dark face under the guise of deception.' After the coup attempt, FETÖ was declared a terror organization by various countries and international organizations. In October 2016, at its 43rd Council of Foreign Ministers' session, the Organization of Islamic Conference declared it a terror organization. As a result of Türkiye's efforts at last month's NATO leaders' summit in Madrid, Spain, FETÖ was named a terror group in the records of the alliance for the first time, according to the Turkish president. In 2021, in the nation's capital Ankara, the July 15 Democracy Museum commemorating the defeated coup was officially opened on its fifth anniversary. Separately, a ceremony was held at parliament, which was among the areas targeted by the coup plotters. The Turkish community in the U.S. also ran an advertisement in The Washington Post pushing for the extradition of FETÖ's ringleader, who lives in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Türkiye has been pressing for years for the U.S. to send him back so he can face justice. SYMBOLS OF TURKISH RESISTANCE Sgt. Bülent Aydın was dubbed 'the first martyr' of the night of July 15, in line with official records. Burak Cantürk was among many students killed during the night of July 15. Cennet Yiğit, 22, was one of the youngest victims of the coup plotters.

Türkiye commemorates people killed in July 15 defeated coup

Since its designation in October 2016, every year the nation marks July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day, with events held nationwide to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.