One of the most brutal coup attempts in Türkiye’s political history took place exactly ten years ago, on 15 July 2016. Orchestrated by a terrorist network that had insidiously infiltrated the institutions of our state, this coup attempt sought to plunge Türkiye into years of chaos and subjugate the future of our nation. By standing up for their independence and future to confront the coup plotters, our august nation asserted to the entire world through their heroic resistance that the will of the people can never be subjugated on these lands. Undoubtedly, the Turkish nation’s prudence, courage, and foresight on the night of 15 July are also unprecedented in the history of world democracy.
This treacherous insurrection by the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) was far more than a conventional coup attempt; it was an all-out act of invasion directed against our country’s independence. The primary targets of the putschists were the emblematic institutions that embody the national will and our nation’s independence, namely the Presidential Complex and the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. On the night of 15 July, I underlined in my public statement that I had never recognized any power greater than that of the people. I made that statement in full confidence that the Turkish nation would stand firm in defense of its own will. Indeed, that very night, our people took to the streets with unwavering faith and determination, refusing to submit to the domination of this terrorist organization. Risking their lives to defend the independence of their country, its democratic achievements, and its free will, our nation repelled the putschists and inscribed an epic of national will that shall be remembered with pride for generations to come.
