Abdulhadi Turus, President of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), regarding the coup attempt of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) on July 15, 2016, said, "July 15 was the struggle between a nation that wanted to determine its own destiny and those who wanted to determine the fate of this country from outside or through tutelage centers." he said.
Turus made a statement to the AA correspondent on the 10th anniversary of FETO's coup attempt.
Stating that he saw the July 15 coup attempt as a vile attack directed not only at the will of the nation but also at Türkiye's foreign policy, its effectiveness in the international arena and the activities carried out by institutions such as YTB, Turus said, "That night, they wanted to deal a blow not only to the elected government and national will, but also to the humanitarian aid, development support, international education policies and strong collaborations we have established with brother countries in different geographies of the world. The close relations we have developed with the countries we call brother countries, which we see as our geography of heart." "They wanted to say 'stop'. They tried to prevent Türkiye's independent foreign policy, its increasingly stronger position in the international system, and the activities carried out by institutions such as YTB." he said.
Turus pointed out that it is of great importance to keep the will and memory of the nation alive even though 10 years have passed, and said that YTB continues to produce various projects to represent this will and keep the memory of July 15 alive in the geographies where it operates.
"We use July 15 as an example to other countries struggling for democracy."
Referring to YTB's July 15-themed activities, Turus said, "We do not see July 15 only as a sad commemoration day. July 15 is also a historical turning point that shows the whole world what the will of the nation, independence and democracy mean. We are trying to remind the true meaning of the concept of democracy, which some circles have put into words, through the sacrifice our nation made that night. As YTB, we use July 15 as an example to other countries struggling for democracy." he said.
Stating that he received many calls from different parts of the world on the night of July 15 and that people from many countries prayed for Türkiye, Turus continued as follows:
"There was a nation standing tall against the coup plotters in every street of Türkiye. Likewise, there were people all over the world, in Europe, the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa, in many parts of our heartland, whose hearts beat for Turkey. That night, a brother of ours called me from the Balkans and said, 'If you fall, we will fall too. Please resist.' he said. We had brothers calling from Gaza. We all know what great difficulties Gaza is going through. Despite this, those who called from Gaza that night said, 'We pray for Türkiye to survive, and we prayed until the morning.' they said. Prayers were made for Türkiye that night from many other oppressed and heartfelt people. "This picture once again showed how great a hope Türkiye is seen not only within its own borders, but throughout our geography of heart."
Turus emphasized that YTB explains what July 15 really means through various programs and trainings, and noted that the struggle that Türkiye fought that night was conveyed to Turks abroad, international students, and kin and relative communities through youth camps, educational activities and cultural programs.
Underlining that on the night of July 15, people with different thoughts, different lifestyles and different sensitivities flocked to the squares to defend the will of the nation and fought a great struggle at the expense of their lives, Turus said:
"We fought heart and soul together against those who wanted to eliminate the will of our nation, bring down our flag, and condemn Türkiye to the tutelage system again. July 15 was perhaps one of the most concrete examples of national resistance in the history of our Republic after the War of Independence. We see this experience as a very important lesson in terms of the unity of our citizens abroad and the ties we establish with our kin and relative communities. We explain this lesson at the forefront in our activities and contacts."
Turus explained that one of YTB's most sensitive areas of activity is the education of children and young people, and that the training provided in this field not only transfers information, but also aims to create a real strategy that will strengthen the common memory, sense of belonging and awareness of unity.
"When choosing our international students, we paid attention to people who can understand Türkiye correctly"
Stating that YTB, which carries out activities in different parts of the world, selects international students with great care within the scope of Turkey Scholarships, Turus said, "When choosing our international students, we did not only choose people with high academic success. We also gave importance to people who can establish a conversation with Turkey, understand Türkiye correctly and create a strong bond of love between their own country and Turkey. But one of the most important criteria for us was this: Choosing people who have credibility in their own country, their own region, their own country, who have social recognition, who are listened to and who can take on responsibilities in the future." he said.
Stating that YTB has approximately 160 thousand Turkish graduates and 35 Turkish Alumni Associations operating in different countries of the world, Turus emphasized that these associations organize various programs from time to time and that one of the most important topics in these programs is the will of countries to self-determination.
Turus said, "July 15 was a struggle between a nation that wanted to determine its own destiny and those who wanted to determine the fate of this country from outside or through tutelage centers. In this respect, July 15 is not only an experience for Türkiye; it is also an important example for all societies that want to protect their independence, democracy and national will." he said.
Pointing out the importance of the nation defending its will with great sacrifices, Turus said, "We also say this to our graduates and international students: Take responsibility for the destiny of your own country. Take responsibility for the future of your own society. Today, if Turkey is a country whose words are listened to on many issues in the world, whose experience is wondered and whose stance is followed, one of the most important reasons for this is that our nation protects its will. First, you will protect your will. Societies that cannot protect their will leave their future at the mercy of others." he said.
"July 15 is a historical turning point that shows the nation's determination to protect its own destiny."
Turus also talked about the "July 15 Democracy Journey: Cities and Traces" program, which aims to bring Turkish youth living abroad to Türkiye to see the traces of the July 15 coup attempt in Ankara and Istanbul.
Giving information about the program planned to be held on July 14-17, Turus stated that approximately 50 young people will be included in the program, that these young people will see the places that witnessed the events of the night of July 15 and will have the opportunity to learn on-site what the coup attempt means for Turkish democracy.
Stating that young people will visit the Grand National Assembly of Turkey within the scope of the program and participate in the commemoration programs to be held under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turus said that July 15 will gain a stronger place in the memory of young generations when it is understood not only by telling it but also with its places and testimonies.
Stating that they will organize a panel in Yassıada, which has historical importance, within the framework of the program, Turus continued as follows:
"We tell our young people this: They tried to break the same will with different methods in the 1960s. They tried to take Türkiye back 20, 30 years. They continued the same understanding with the postmodern coup during the February 28 period. On July 15, they tried to do this with a much bloodier, much meaner coup attempt that was aimed directly at the will of the nation. We tell our young people, 'Come, see this process on the spot. Türkiye's struggle for democracy can only be seen from books and speeches. 'Learn not from the memory of places, from testimonies and experiences.' we say.
Turus explained that 10 years have passed since July 15, and that the generation that does not remember that night or was a child in those years has now become Türkiye's representatives abroad as young people, and said:
"Today, our young people who do not remember the night of July 15, who were babies or children at that time, are now grown up. They are becoming the generation that will tell Türkiye's voice, stance and truth in the countries they are in today. That is why we have to tell them about July 15 correctly. God forbid, if those traitors had been successful on the night of July 15, today there would be neither a system where we, as YTB, could establish this strong bond with you, nor an independent ground where Türkiye could establish contact with its citizens abroad, compatriots, relatives and the geography of the heart on this scale. would stay."
Turus underlined that July 15 should be passed on to future generations not only as a coup attempt in the past, but as a historical turning point that shows Türkiye's will for independence, the struggle for democracy and the nation's determination to protect its own destiny.