Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, "July 15 is a great victory won by courage against fear, will against betrayal, and the nation against all dark plans."
Minister Göktaş attended the "The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours, July 15" panel held in Ankara. Speaking at the panel, Göktaş stated that they commemorated the martyrs and expressed their gratitude to the veterans on the 10th anniversary of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.
Stating that July 15 was a historical turning point when the nation claimed democracy, independence and national will, Göktaş said, "July 15 became the name of the night when FETO's dark ambitions were defeated by light, betrayal was defeated by loyalty, fear was defeated by courage."
Emphasizing that the nation is one heart with the call of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Göktaş said, "Our nation united around the same ideal. It shielded its chest in front of tanks and bullets. It protected its homeland, its flag and its future. It showed the whole world that it does not recognize any power above the national will. Therefore, July 15 is not an ordinary date. July 15 is a great victory of courage against fear, will against betrayal, and the nation against all dark plans."
"We strive to make our martyrs' families and veterans feel that they are not alone."
Stating that as the Ministry, services for the relatives of martyrs and veterans continue, Göktaş said, "We carry out activities in every field from education to health, from employment to social support. Protecting the trust of our beloved nation is possible not only by remembering on certain days, but also by being with our martyrs' families and veterans every day of the year. With this understanding, we strive to make our martyrs' families and veterans feel that they are not alone with the home visits we carry out in our 81 provinces. We deliver the compassion of our state and the loyalty of our nation to every household. Because "We know that the loyalty we feel for our martyrs gains meaning with the care we show to their families who have entrusted us with this. On the other hand, we bring together our martyrs' families and heroic veterans with our youth through the 'Homeland and Heroism Meetings' we hold. We believe that a nation learns its history not only from books, but from the memories of the people who lived that history."
"July 15 is not just the night when a coup attempt was thwarted"
Stating that the panel will discuss the civil will of July 15 that defends democracy, the struggle for truth, its legal dimension and its place in the common memory of the nation, Göktaş said, "As our President stated, 'Those who were martyred that night are the eternal heroes of our nation's independence and future struggle.' This quote summarizes the spirit of July 15 in the most powerful way. We are on this panel today, not just to talk about the past. We came together to carry the will of independence, consciousness of democracy and spirit of national unity entrusted to us by those heroes to future generations. Because July 15 is not just the night when a coup attempt was thwarted. It is also a historical turning point in which our nation declared to the whole world that its will cannot be shackled. In the panel we will hold today; We will discuss different aspects of July 15, the civil will that defends democracy, the struggle for truth, its legal dimension and its place in our nation's collective memory. Most importantly, with the testimonies of those who personally experienced that night; We will once again remember together the courage of the people who faced the tanks with faith, the spirit of unity and solidarity embodied in the squares, and the epic written shoulder to shoulder. It should not be forgotten that it is not only history books that keep the memory of nations alive. "It is the voice of those who made sacrifices, the trust of our martyrs and the honorable struggle of our veterans," he said. - ANKARA