Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun commented on the national resistance, Türkiye's fight against terrorism, the radical change that occurred after July 15, and the July 15 events carried out under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications on the fifth anniversary of July 15 for the Akşam Newspaper.
On the fifth anniversary of July 15, when you look back, what is your take on the incidents of that day?
On July 15, 2016, this nation and these lands faced a betrayal unprecedented in history. FETO had tried to oppress the national will with vile conspiracies before, but their heinous plans were repelled each time. The dose of their aggression increased as their plans kept failing. They attempted a coup as a "last resort" in their own way. They showed their most treacherous and murderous face. However, our nation knew this treacherous network very well. They stood against these terrorists with great acumen from the start, knowing that this was also an invasion attempt. Of course, the leadership of our President was a great source of encouragement. Together, the state and the nation brought this bloody attack down. We fought this struggle in the spirit of the War of Independence. The coup plotters who used state weapons to spread terror were not able to succeed. And the nation that stood up that night emerged victoriously. Those who surrendered their will and souls to the FETO ringleader and to those who used them as pawns, those who had no value such as the homeland or the flag, martyred our 251 brothers and sisters and injured thousands of sons and daughters of this country. Once again, I wish Allah's mercy on our martyrs. We will not forget their valor. It has been five years since the nation's victory against the coup attempt. We will always remember with gratitude how our nation displayed a glorious resistance that night and how millions of patriots who filled the squares wrote epics by making individual sacrifices. There are historical turning points for people where they remember that they were "a nation". July 15 is one of these turning points in this sense. On July 15, united around its leader, this nation showed friend and foe how they defended and will defend their democracy, will and independence. They shielded their country with their bosoms against the bullets with a dignity that "kills even the death", so to say, and marched on the tanks, defying the fighter jets. I think it will always be insufficient to express that night in words because this august nation displayed a great resistance that cannot be put into words and will be told of for centuries. July 15 is a unique consciousness, a spirit that will always remain alive.
What has changed in Türkiye after July 15?
After July 15, those behind this invasion attempt once again saw what the Turkish nation could do for its sovereignty. Dispelling the scourge of FETO and strengthening the national will, Türkiye began to focus on its main issues. The most radical administrative reform in Turkish history took place. With the Presidential System of Government, our country has had a historic opportunity, and Türkiye's growth has accelerated. After that, a consciousness that strengthens our sovereignty day by day and mobilises local and national means in every field began to take root in our country with the visionary leadership of our President. This showed that Türkiye is not a country to bow down to its adversaries.
What was Türkiye’s message to its enemies on July 15?
On July 15, we sent a clear message to the entire world: "Türkiye is invincible." With a glorious fight, we once again demonstrated to Türkiye's enemies that no one could control this country. Some people got the message and did a thorough analysis of what happened that night for sure. However, there are also others who have not learned anything from July 15 and are still attempting to involve our country in intrigues under the guidance of the FETO remnants. In fact, they realised that martyring our nation with tanks and firearms would not achieve the desired goal. Those who intended to entice Türkiye into the dependency trap did not sit on their hands. This time, they used economic and other elements of threat to continue their attacks. They began to exert pressure on our country in both domestic and international policy. They unleashed terrorist organisations on us. They attempted to distort our country's image. Thanks be to Allah, we were able to defeat all of these attacks under the leadership of our President. Undoubtedly, the Presidential System of Government has provided a significant opportunity in this regard. We have overcome various challenges as a result of the new system's rapid and effective decision-making mechanism, and we will continue to do so. Those who do not comprehend Türkiye's loud and clear message persist in their futile efforts. Türkiye, on the other hand, is not a country that can be influenced by terrorism, economic attacks, or smear campaigns. Together with our nation, we will continue to shape our own destiny.
How does Türkiye continue its fight against FETO and other terrorist organisations?
There is no other country in the world that has been targeted by so many terrorist organisations at the same time and is fighting them so tenaciously and effectively as Türkiye. We have seen all types of terrorism: FETO, PKK, DAESH, DHKP-C… These terrorist groups can't seem to get together, but when it comes to anti-Türkiye sentiment and opposition to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, they can all come together. Thanks be to Allah, our fight against all of these terrorist organisations is still ongoing successfully. Wherever they are in the world, FETO members are arrested and handed over to Turkish justice. Inside and outside our borders, highly successful operations are carried out against the separatist terrorist group. The top executives of the PKK terrorist organisation are neutralised one by one. We have fought resolutely against all of these terrorist organisations both inside and outside our borders, and we continue to have positive outcomes. We broke the back of terrorism in the country. With our policy to eradicate terrorism, we have taken and continue to take effective steps beyond our boundaries.
Türkiye fights terrorist organisations on its own, with the help of its domestic and national means increasing in recent years. Even though our NATO allies not only leave Türkiye alone in the fight against terrorism but also encourage terrorist organisations, our country has the ability and power to combat all of this hypocrisy as well as terrorist organisations.
You said that Türkiye was left alone by its allies in the fight against terrorism. What can you say about domestic support in this fight?
Our security forces and intelligence units continue to fight terrorism with admirable success, tenacity, and determination. Without a doubt, our nation provides the greatest support in this struggle. Unfortunately, we are also dealing with a political mindset that seeks to undercut and diminish our fight against terrorist organisations, particularly FETO. Sadly, the opposition, whose post-July 15 rhetoric is still vivid in our minds, has also failed to recognise the reality in the last five years. We have tirelessly stated that the events on July 15 were a project to invade Türkiye rather than being a coup attempt, but there are those who refuse to see or hear these facts for the sake of political interests. Furthermore, they publicly display this attitude by banding together with figures that are overtly hostile to Türkiye.
Those who gathered under the umbrella of an association founded by Türkiye's foes in the United States demonstrate that some people are still pursuing nefarious goals. This endeavour, which also includes a fugitive FETO member and former Republican People's Party (CHP) member, appears to be a new ruse by them. The background of the figures involved in this attempt also reveals what their purpose is. Of course, we will not allow this. The activities of this treacherous terrorist organisation in the United States, Europe, and the rest of the world are attentively monitored by all relevant institutions of our state. We are breathing down the necks of FETO militants. We have demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate that they are not safe anywhere on the planet. Türkiye sought the extradition of these terrorists within the framework of diplomacy and international law, as well as the cessation of FETO's activities. Consequently, as our President put it, "we decided to take matters into our own hands", and we have pulled and continue to pull these terrorists out of their caves and handed them over to the Turkish judiciary.
What kind of program can citizens expect from this year's July 15 commemorative events to be organized by the Directorate of Communications?
While Türkiye continues its fight against terrorist organisations successfully, it is critical not to overlook the success achieved thus far. Future generations should be aware of the treachery that our country has experienced, as well as the sacrifices made and the courage shown by our citizens in the face of these betrayals. We will keep the spirit of July 15 alive because July 15 is an epic that will be passed down from generation to generation, reminding us how great a nation we are.
Of course, our President will also lead the commemorative events on the fifth anniversary of July 15. He will attend commemorative events at the Presidential Complex and the July 15 monument at the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT), and the opening ceremony of the July 15 Museum in Ankara. That evening, our President will deliver an address to the nation after meeting with relatives of martyrs, veterans, as well as civilians.
The July 15 Museum, which will be opened in Ankara, has also become a significant site to cherish memories. After Istanbul, Ankara now has a museum dedicated to July 15.
On the other hand, our Directorate was tasked with coordinating all July 15 commemorative events at home and abroad at the beginning of 2019 with a circular issued by our President. Under the coordination of our Directorate of Communications, public institutions, non-governmental organisations, and universities are carrying out a total of 3,876 events and projects as part of the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day. Our non-governmental organisations, most notably the July 15 Association, have realised significant projects as well. The theme for the events this year is "Victory of Democracy". We believe that this slogan accurately depicts this unique victory. On the one hand, we will pay tribute to our martyrs; on the other hand, we will reflect on our epic victory. Indeed, we will highlight our state's successes in the fight against terrorism while also exposing the true colours of FETO and the traitors' insidious plans.
This year, the movie "15/07 At Dawn" that focuses on the events in Çengelköy and the July 15 Martyrs Bridge during the July 15 coup attempt will be presented to our nation with the contributions of the Directorate of Communications. No matter how much information we provide about what occurred that night, it will be insufficient, but we believe that any effort toward this objective is worthwhile.
We will also release a documentary titled "Defiance," which will include real-time footage of what occurred on the night of July 15, as well as statements from eyewitnesses. We intend to distribute this documentary in different languages to the international public.
Additionally, we will have various projects that combine the spirit of July 15 with technology and digital means. The digital exhibition titled "The Triumph of National Will: July 15" at Marmaray Yenikapı Station can be visited until August 8. We will actively promote the epic resistance of July 15 across all social, digital and conventional channels.
We will also stage a choreography at Hagia Sophia themed "victory of the nation" on the evening of July 15. Additionally, mapping shows with the theme of July 15 will take place on Istanbul landmarks such as Galata Tower, Çamlıca Tower, and Istanbul Airport Tower. In addition, we will commemorate our July 15 martyrs and celebrate our victory of democracy by installing LED towers in various locations throughout Istanbul and Ankara.
Of course, we have attention-grabbing works to educate the international public about FETO and July 15. We will never neglect the international public. The Directorate of Communications held a briefing on FETO and the July 15 coup attempt for 18 journalists operating in Indonesia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Montenegro. "July 15 in 15 Countries" interviews will be a separate project that we will carry out within this scope. We will conduct our activities abroad with the concept of "Victory of Democracy". We will bring together the relatives of July 15 martyrs with the diplomats in our country and the international community in Istanbul and Ankara.
I would like to take this occasion to once again express my gratitude to our nation for defending our homeland at the cost of their lives on July 15 and to remember our martyrs with grace. I wish all of our veterans a long and healthy life.