July 15 landmark for Turkish democracy, history: Erdoğan

The foiled coup on July 15, 2016, constitutes a landmark for the Turkish democracy and history as the people resisted the coup plotters, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, as the nation marked the sixth anniversary of the bloody putsch at the hands of the FETÖ terrorist organization.

"Thank God, we did manage to turn the July 15 into a landmark. From now on, Turkish history will be examined in two periods, before and after July 15, in terms of the maturity of our democracy and resolute acknowledgment of the power of the national will," Erdoğan said in his message on July 15.

Türkiye narrowly escaped the coup staged by FETÖ members within the Turkish army in 2016. The people who hit the streets in defense of democracy thwarted the coup at the expense of their lives. Some 252 people were killed during the events on that night mostly in Istanbul and Ankara.

Erdoğan reiterated his gratitude to those who actively resisted the putschists, stressing, "No doubt, the main significance of July 15 for us is the fact it marks the first active and glorious resistance of our people against coup d'états that our country faced throughout its history."

The people protected the republic, democracy and the achievements of this country on July 15, Erdoğan said, adding, "With this resistance, we have shown to our friends and foes that Türkiye can never be taken hostage and the Turkish people will never be brought to its knees."

Measures taken against future plots

The president assured that all the administrative and legal measures have been taken and are being taken to eliminate plotters and the source of this treason so that Türkiye will not face such a threat again in the future. Recalling that they have designated...