On 7th anniversary, photos of victims of 2016 coup bid hung on Turkish House in New York

A flag displaying photos and names of the victims of the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye was hung on the Turkish House in New York to mark the seventh anniversary of the defeated 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye. Speaking at a Friday commemoration ceremony at the Turkish House, a dedicated building for Turkish diplomatic representations, Ambassador to the UN Sedat Önal urged the international community to cooperate with Türkiye and act in solidarity to foil the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). 'This is not only a threat to the security and stability of Türkiye, but a threat to (all) countries in which it operates. This is a clear-cut warning,' he said at the Turkish House, across from UN headquarters. 'We remember this day as the day when our nation faced an unprecedented challenge-a cowardly attempt by a small faction within our military to seize control of our government,' said Turkish Consul General in New York Reyhan Özgür. 'But we also remember this day that united us as nation in the face of adversity and demonstrated the unwavering determination of the Turkish people to safeguard our democratic values.' July 15 is observed every year in Türkiye as Democracy and National Unity Day. FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader, Fetullah Gülen, orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. 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. Since 1999, Gülen has lived in self-exile in the U.S. near Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.