President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "July 15 is not only a night when a treacherous coup attempt failed, but also a great democracy victory written in golden letters in history, where our nation defended its will, democracy and independence at the cost of its life." he said.
President Erdoğan wrote an article titled "July 15: Declaration of Independence of the Turkish Century" on the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.
The article published in newspapers said, "Ten years have passed since that fateful night when a whole nation, which changed the course of history, fought at the expense of its life for its independence and future." Starting with the following statements, Erdoğan made the following evaluations:
"July 15 is not just a night when a treacherous coup attempt failed; it is a great democracy victory written in golden letters in history, where our nation defended its will, democracy and independence at the cost of its life. That night, our noble nation gave one of the greatest lessons in history to the imperialists and their collaborators who attempted to invade our homeland, just like in the War of Independence.
July 15th, when the poet said, "The majesty of our ancestors is the glory of the world / Do not think that nature changes, this blood is still that blood!" "As expressed in its verses, it is a great epic written in golden letters in history by our noble nation who rushed to the streets and squares with the faith and determination of those who fought heroically in Manzikert a thousand years ago, those who put their souls and bodies on the walls of Istanbul 500 years ago to realize Sultan Fatih's dream and to receive the good news of our Prophet, and those who sacrificed their lives to defend the homeland a hundred years ago."
"Our nation once again claimed its independence and future"
In his article, Erdoğan emphasized that they were not making a simple invitation while calling the beloved nation to the squares and airports to defend the national will against the treacherous attempt of the desperate terrorist organization, which is rare in history, and shared the following views:
"The call we made to our nation was a manifestation of our trust in the democratic common sense, foresight and courage of our beloved nation. One of the most sacred legacies left to us by our ancestors: 'Either independence or death!' We aimed to revive the motto. Our nation, which literally emerged from the depths of history, responded to this call immediately, disregarding its life and soul. Thank God, our nation did not disappoint this trust and defended its independence and future. That night, our nation shattered the chains that were intended to be placed on its will, removed the shackles of tutelage and betrayal, and destroyed the obstacles in front of Türkiye one by one. That night, while 253 of our country's sons were drinking the sherbet of martyrdom, more than 2 thousand of our brothers were injured. "Each of these figures is a separate sign of the sacrifice, courage and heroism made to protect the homeland, flag and national will."
President Erdoğan said, "During the past ten years, we have continued our fight against the bloody terrorist organization FETO with uncompromising determination both domestically and internationally." Using his statements, he said:
"Because it was our greatest debt to our martyrs who willingly sacrificed their lives to clear this cancer cell that had infiltrated our state and to ensure that the perpetrators were held accountable before justice. We have eradicated FETO in every field, from the bureaucracy to the army, from the judiciary to the business world. However, it is useful to remember once again this simple truth that we should never forget; what is happening is not a struggle that started and ended 10 years ago. FETO and similar insidious structures have invaded our state and "The only way to prevent it from attacking our nation again is to keep the spirit of July 15 alive and to transfer this awareness to future generations."
"The greatest strength of this nation is its unity and solidarity"
Stating that in the 10 years that have passed since the treacherous coup attempt, the pain has remained as fresh as the first day, Erdoğan continued his article as follows:
"However, we continue to wage our war against FETO and all similar terrorist groups with the same perseverance and determination. On the 10th anniversary of July 15, there is now a much stronger, more determined and tightly knit Turkey. As long as the spirit of July 15 remains alive in these lands, no one should doubt that the insidious plans of the traitors and the dirty tricks of the global scriptwriters behind them will never find a response.
On this occasion, I wish God's mercy to all our martyrs who brought light to that dark night by shielding their chests, who became heirlooms of our ancestors at the expense of their lives, and who made these lands, which we have ruled for centuries, our homeland again. I pray for a good, fruitful and long life for our veterans.
May God not let our beloved nation, whose history is woven with glorious victories, experience betrayals like July 15th again. The greatest strength of this nation is its unity, solidarity, and ancient brotherhood that has been kneaded with joy and sadness for a thousand years. May God always preserve our unity, solidarity and brotherhood."