A commemoration program was held in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, on the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.
The program organized by the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad at the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery in Baghdad was attended by Türkiye's Ambassador to Baghdad Anıl Bora İnan, Kirkuk Governor and Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) President Muhammed Seman Ağa, representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations operating in Baghdad, ITF MPs and many officials.
Speaking at the program, which started with the recitation of the Holy Quran for the martyrs, Ambassador İnan said, "It is one of the greatest works in history of the great Turkish nation, who said 'the will is ours, the victory is ours' on the night of July 15." he said.
"The great Turkish Nation, which adopted the motto of the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 'independence is my character', showed the whole world once again that night that it would not hesitate to put its life on the line to protect its independence and sovereignty."
Stating that FETO sometimes introduces itself as a non-governmental organization, sometimes as an educational institution, and tries to advance its secret agenda under the guise of a religious community, Ambassador İnan said that this structure is a terrorist and organized crime organization consisting of multi-layered international and secret cells.
Emphasizing that it is a great mistake to assume that the sole target of FETO is the Republic of Turkey, İnan said that while the organization tries to infiltrate the institutions of every country it is in, with its insidious agenda, it is also involved in illegal activities that threaten the public order of the countries, including tax evasion, money laundering, fraud in visa and asylum applications, immigrant smuggling, blackmail and murder.
Ambassador İnan continued his words as follows:
"The organization's connection with organized crime, its secret agenda and its relations with intelligence services pose a great risk for the countries that embrace FETO. The organization tries to gain influence in different parts of the world by taking shelter behind concepts such as humanitarian aid, education and trade and by exploiting religious values. If the activities of the organization are investigated by the authorities of the country they are in, these illegal activities can be revealed. What happened on the night of July 15, beyond a treacherous coup attempt, affected the democratically elected government, our President and It went down in history as a bloody terrorist act aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order in Türkiye.
July 15 revealed the great threat posed by FETO to our state. The biggest share in eliminating this threat belongs to the Turkish nation, which has shown that it does not recognize any power based on its own will and is ready to give its life to protect its state and democratic gains. It is revealed through confessions and revelations from within the organization that the July 15 coup attempt was organized by FETO. The perpetrators of the murder of 253 of our citizens will sooner or later be held accountable to Turkish justice and the Turkish nation. We fight tirelessly and determinedly against FETO and other national and international threats. "The activities of FETO-affiliated structures in friendly and allied countries have been and are being disrupted thanks to the international cooperation carried out by our state."
"I once again invite the Iraqi authorities and people to be vigilant."
Stating that there has been a serious deterioration in the global network of the terrorist organization, İnan stated that the organization is trying to create a story of victimization through false news by using propaganda and lobbying opportunities, to be visible again in the media and to strengthen cooperation with circles hostile to Türkiye.
"The fight against FETO is one of the most important components of our national security." Using the statement, İnan said:
"The death of the leader of the organization in the USA in 2024 has not made us complacent. As a state, no one should doubt that we will continue our fight with determination until this dark organization is completely eliminated. In this context, I once again invite the Iraqi authorities and people to be vigilant against the so-called educational institutions that finance FETO. We expect the relevant Iraqi authorities to take the necessary steps for the closure and transfer of over 50 so-called FETO educational institutions in Iraq. I would like to reiterate on this occasion that the only Turkish schools in Iraq continue their activities successfully under the umbrella of the Turkish Maarif Foundation in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Erbil, and will start operating in Basra and Mosul as soon as possible.
July 15, Democracy and National Unity Day, is of great importance in terms of keeping our collective memory alive against treacherous attempts against our country and commemorating our martyrs and veterans. May God have mercy on all our citizens who martyred for the independence and free future of our country, and offer our condolences to their relatives and our nation; I wish our veterans health and well-being."
At the end of the program, Ambassador İnan laid a wreath at the Turkish Martyrs' Monument and visited the photo exhibition on July 15 with the participants.