As part of the 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day commemorations, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications held the Amsterdam leg of its panel series titled “National Will and Democratic Resistance: 10th Anniversary of 15 July”.
The event, which garnered the interest of many academics, journalists, politicians, and diplomats, focused on the coup attempt by the Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) on the night of July 15, 2016, which targeted the constitutional order and the resistance of the Turkish people.
The programme opened with remarks by Türkiye’s Ambassador to The Hague, Fatma Ceren Yazgan, while the Presidency's Head of Communications, Prof. Burhanettin Duran, addressed participants via video message. The thematic video “Will of the Nation, Victory of Democracy”, prepared for 15 July, was also screened.
In his video message, Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran emphasised that Türkiye possesses the strength and determination to counter all threats targeting its sovereignty and independence. Noting that FETO poses a security threat not only to Türkiye but also to all countries in which it operates, Duran underscored the importance of friendly and allied countries acting in solidarity with Türkiye in countering the terrorist organisation.
Head of Communications Duran noted that 15 July offers valuable lessons for the international community in countering hybrid threats, disinformation and crises of truth and emphasised the need to strengthen cooperation and solidarity in addressing global challenges while fostering a fairer international order.
The Amsterdam leg of the panel series was moderated by Associate Prof İsmail Erkam Sula, Communications Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in The Hague. Speakers included Dr Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Member of the Presidential Board of Agriculture and Food Policies and former Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock in the 59th, 60th, 61st and 62nd Governments of the Republic of Türkiye; Mahmut Mustafa Özdil, Chairman of the Türkiye Maarif Foundation; and Prof. İsmail Numan Telci, faculty member at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.
In her opening remarks, Türkiye’s Ambassador to The Hague, Yazgan, stated that on the night of 15 July 2016, the Turkish nation demonstrated to the entire world that its will could not be shackled. She added that the struggle must be pursued swiftly and resolutely in order to honour the memory of those martyred on 15 July.
Dr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker stated that FETO differed from any organisation encountered to date, describing it as a multidimensional and multilayered structure whose history dates back to the 1960s.
Speaking later in the panel, Mahmut Mustafa Özdil stated that the transfer of FETO-affiliated educational institutions to the Türkiye Maarif Foundation had placed an additional responsibility on the organisation following the attempted coup. He explained that the Foundation had been required to carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation process at the schools it had taken over, covering administrative, legal, financial, physical and academic aspects.
Speaking next, Prof. İsmail Numan Telci stated that those who opposed Türkiye's emergence as a more independent actor at the regional and global levels had been behind the coup attempt. He added that, ten years on, those calculations had backfired, with the defence industry and foreign policy emerging as two of the areas in which Türkiye had made the greatest progress.
As part of the programme, a photo exhibition themed around 15 July was also opened to participants, while the film “15/07 Break of Dawn” was screened at a commemoration programme organised in cooperation with civil society organisations in the Netherlands.
