July 16, 2016 Foiled Coup: Turkiye Shares Sad Memories, Recalls Crucial Lessons Learnt

It is already 9 years since members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, FETO, launched a blistering bloody unsuccessful attempt to seize power from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. Attacking targets in the political capital, Ankara and Istanbul, the economic capital. But the memories are still fresh as if it had happened just yesterday. Turkiye has marked July 15 ever since the foiled putsch of July 15, 2016 as Democracy and National Unity Day – often declared a public holiday.

The Power Of People’s Power
As part of this year’s commemoration, a panel discussion on “Defending democracy: The power of civil resistance,” was organized in Ankara on Tuesday, July 16, 2025. The event was covered by 200 local and foreign journalists. Turkish Vice President, Dr Cevdet Yilmaz, made an address at the opening, comparing the July 15, 2016 failed coup to the slaughter that took place in Kosovo in the 1990s. 

Parliament, Presidency Violated
“Turkiye has experienced several coups before, but on July 15, 2016, insurgents attacked Parliament and the Presidential Complex. This was no coincidence because these two institutions represent the image of the State. Renegade soldiers elsewhere in the world respect Parliament buildings. A coup d’état against a democracy is intolerable!” the Vice President noted.

Democracy’s Martyrs  
“In the interest of justice, national will needs to be carefully analyzed to understand what happened on July 15, 2016. Else, we will produce robotic citizens… Let’s remember the martyrs of the foiled coup - the thousands of citizens who stood up for our democracy. The country expresses its deep gratitude to the people and all State institutions for standing for democracy in 2016,” Dr Yilmaz stressed. 

Don’t Relax Guard!
In the area of justice, he said many FETO members have been tried and sentenced, given that Turkiye is a State of law. “The country must remain steadfast in the fight against terrorism because FETO still exists abroad,” he warned. Dr Cevdet recalled that the international media deliberately failed to mention Turkish people’s resistance against the attempted coup. Elsewhere, much noise would have been made about it, he pointed out. 

Ongoing Purges 
Following the botched coup, the authorities undertook major purges to root out FETO members and supporters. The purge is still going on, he assured. Some 40 days after the failed coup, the Turkish military struck FETO targets in Syria. 
“Turkiye’s sad experience with the July 15, 2016 attempted coup is a warning to other nations. Foreign countries should not harbour FETO terrorists,” the Vice President counselled. Noting with regret that there has not been enough international cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Continue To Watch Out!
“As Turkiye looks to the future, we need to protect our democracy by ensuring that FETO never resurfaces in the country… Terrorism was a shackle on our people. We are now building the prosperity of our people… We must however remain very vigilant so that July 15, 2016 does not repeat itself,” Dr Yilmaz underscored. 

Strengthening Peace, Prosperity 
Turkiye as a nation has descended from a great history of the Ottoman Empire. As the country enters the second century of its development, there is need to fortify peace and a more prosperous future. Dr Yilmaz accused some foreign powers of instigating plots against Turkiye in the sub-region.

Distorted, Manipulated Religion
“Our people took to the streets in 2016 to defy the coup. But watch out, because religion is being distorted and exploited like FETO did. Their aim was to push people away from true religion,” he pointed out.

Transparency, Accountability 
“We must build on transparency and accountability. Our citizens must learn to question to avoid being manipulated. Strengthening national will must also be our major concern. Debates on a new constitution are very important. We must not depend on the constitution put in place after past coups. The new constitution will involve wide consultations,” Vice President Dr Cevdet Yilmaz pledged. 

Panel Discussion Members 
Meanwhile, the panel discussion on “Defending democracy: The power of civil resistance,” was moderated by Associate Professor Ismail Caglar of the Presidency of Turkiye Directorate ...