Turkey is marking the fourth anniversary of the July 15 failed coup attempt against the government, with ceremonies and events remembering its victims.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday, accompanied by civilian "veterans" who fought against the coup, laid a wreath at a memorial in the presidential complex in Ankara and prayed.
Erdoğan was kicking off a series of events to commemorate the crushing of the coup, including one at parliament. Attendees were wearing masks as the event took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On July 15, 2016, FETO members within the military used tanks, warplanes and helicopters to try to overthrow Erdoğan's government.
A total of 251 people were martyred and around 2,200 others were wounded as the coup plotters fired on people or bombed parliament and other government buildings.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen is accused of orchestrating the defeated coup July 15, 2016.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
