Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, which assumed the coordination of programmes organized in Turkey and abroad on the occasion of “July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day”, carried out innovative projects moving from the perspective of commemorating the spirit of July 15 with the utilization of technological capabilities on its 4th anniversary.
Directorate of Communications organized a wide spectrum of events ranging from a symphony composed specially for the Epic of July 15 to Digital Display Centres, and from mapping and drone show at Kuleli campus to online panels with international participation in order to raise awareness about the Nation’s Victory.
Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun said, “Under the leadership of our President, we continue to embrace the spirit of July 15. Our aim is to ensure that the epic resistance of our nation against the coup attempt of July 15 never gets forgotten. We will keep the memory of our martyrs alive. We will ensure that the victory of our nation lives forever in our memories. We will continue to tell the whole world about July 15 through the use of artistic, scientific, and technological means.”
On the fourth anniversary of the nation’s victory against the coup attempt of July 15, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications assumed the coordination of commemorative events both across Turkey and abroad.
All events focused on elucidating the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and the coup attempt in its entirety, highlighting the nation’s resistance, the state’s struggle and the democracy victory, commemorating the martyrs and veterans, keeping the spirit of national unity and social memory alive and raising awareness about July 15 abroad.
Directorate of Communications formed the “July 15 Project Follow-up System” to monitor and report on the preparation, implementation, and assessment phases of the commemorative events.
Under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, nearly 3 thousand events and activities were organized by the ministries, public institutions, universities, and non-governmental organizations both in Turkey and abroad.
Directorate of Communications puts emphasis on digital events
In addition to its duty of coordination in general, the Directorate of Communications also organized a series of July 15 events and projects through the use of digital means both in Turkey and abroad.
- July 15 on the walls of Kuleli campus
Directorate of Communications arranged a visual presentation of the nation’s resistance against coup plotters on the walls of the Kuleli campus, one of the hot spots during the coup attempt of July 15, through the use of video mapping technology.
The show included the inscriptions “Nation’s Victory”, “Democracy Watch to Last Forever”, “One Nation, One Flag, One Homeland” as well as the Turkish flag and the photos of July 15 martyrs. The event was live-streamed on television channels as well as the social media accounts of the Presidency and the Directorate of Communications.
- Nation’s Victory in the sky with 200 drones
For the first time in Turkey, the Directorate of Communications organized a “July 15 themed light show” consisting of 200 drones above the Kuleli campus.
During the first part of the show, drones took off to form a star shape in the sky, symbolizing the leaguing together of the nation upon hearing the news of the coup attempt. Drones then created the message “Nation’s Victory”, the map of Turkey and July 15 logo.
Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun said they organized an environmentally friendly show with no harm to living things and nature and no fireworks, and added, “It is for the first time in Turkey that we have organized such a big show with 200 UAVs. We are doing it all to tell about the Epic of July 15.”
The drone show was also live-streamed on television channels as well as the social media accounts of the Presidency and the Directorate of Communications.
- Fahir Atakoğlu’s “Epic of July 15” symphony
Under the leadership of the Directorate of Communications, Fahir Atakoğlu, a world-renown composer, notated the spirit of July 15 National Struggle.
The “Epic of July 15” symphony enabled the creation of a piece that would keep the memory of July 15 alive through music as well.
Fahir Atakoğlu performed this symphonic work for the first time at the Presidential Complex together with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and State Polyphonic Choir. Sufi music artist Sami Özer also accompanied the concert. Every section of the “Epic of July 15” tuned the important moments and places of the coup attempt. The piece consisted of sections called “Betrayal”, “Honour”, “Marmaris”, “Salat”, “Call”, “Commander-in-Chief”, “House of the Nation”, “Bridge of Martyrs” and “Democracy Watch”. The concert was broadcast on television channels and the social media accounts of the Presidency and the Directorate of Communications on the night of July 14.
- “15 Panels on July 15”
Directorate of Communications organized a series of panels titled “15 Panels on July 15” to explain the international structure of FETO, July 15 coup attempt and the resistance of the Turkish nation to the world public.
The panels organized as online webinars, which placed the capitals of 15 countries, namely the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Kazakhstan, China, Qatar, Albania, South Africa, Bangladesh, Spain, Guatemala, and Ethiopia, at the heart of the event, are broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Directorate of Communications.
- July 15 relived at Digital Display Centres
Digital Display Centres established by the Directorate of Communications in Bursa, Çanakkale, Samsun, Konya, Kayseri, Antalya, and Diyarbakır display the fight put up and the victory won against the coup attempt of July 15 in the digital environment.
Digital Display Centres, which host their visitors in line with the necessary measures against the Covid-19 pandemic, offer a special passageway for the visually impaired as well as sign language facilities for the hearing impaired.
Using a 360-degree visual experience and a three-dimensional hologram technology, the centres also have special display areas where the true colour of FETO is explained and the martyrs of July 15 are commemorated.
Visitors of the Digital Display Centres on July 15 National Unity and Solidarity Day were presented with VR glasses, which make it possible to watch three-dimensional digital reality (VR) videos, as well as a Turkish flag.
- Nation’s Victory on a 3D digital reality video
Directorate of Communications prepared a three-dimensional (3D) digital reality video (VR) depicting the struggle and victory of the nation against the coup attempt of July 15.
Prepared in Turkish and English, the 3D digital reality video titled “July 15 Nation’s Victory” is the first content for the VR glasses developed specifically for this year by the Directorate of Communications.
The VR glasses, which make it possible to watch the video posted on the YouTube channel of the Directorate of Communications, were presented to visitors to the Digital Display Centres of the Directorate of Communications free of charge.
- July 15 themed choreography at Hagia Sophia Square
“July 15” themed choreography, prepared by the Directorate of Communications exclusively for the fourth anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt by FETO, was performed at Hagia Sophia Square.
During the show performed in front of the Hagia Sophia Mosque by a team of 100 choreographers, each wearing red-white t-shirts with crescent and star on them, the choreography featured the July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, one of the hot spots of the coup attempt, as well as the Turkish flag and the map of Turkey.
The performance also featured the choreographies with the following messages: "One nation, one flag, one state", "Never forget July 15", and "July 15 Democracy Victory".
- “July 15: Milestone for World Democracies” movie
Directorate of Communications also made a short film that demonstrates how the victory won by the nation against the coup attempt of July 15 acts as a milestone for the world history of democracy.
The film, which highlights the notion “July 15, 2016: Milestone for World Democracies”, depicts the Turkish nation’s becoming a first in the world history of democracy by repulsing the coup attempt through a heroic fight.
The film prepared both in Turkish and English indicates that there had been no attempted coup in the world history resisted and stopped solely by the nation itself until July 15, 2016.
The film conveyed the following message: “That night the Turkish nation, young and old alike, all united for democracy and the future of their country, put their lives on the line, made history and stopped the dark coup attempt. The Turkish nation made history that night. This is a milestone in the history of coups and for democracy. That night, a nation, standing tall for the will and sovereignty at holds, changed the course of history with its bare hands and showed the whole world that through solidarity and courage traitors could be repulsed.”
- International Anti-Coup Hackathon
Being the first and only big data work on military coups, International Anti-Coup Hackathon, which was held for the first time last year, has also continued this year.
The Hackathon that brought together the spirit of July 15 with technology and innovation was organized to reveal the results of coups that impede the functioning of democracy and to create big data on military coups.
- July 15 Short Film Competition
Directorate of Communications initiated a short film and script competition in 2019 to support and highlight the works that tell about the coup attempted by FETO on July 15 and the honourable resistance of the nation. The award ceremony for this year’s competition will take place later this week.
- July 15 Martyrs Calligraphy Exhibition
Directorate of Communications prepared a calligraphy work, which consists of canvases that had the names of 251 Turkish citizens martyred on July 15, on the map of Turkey with each piece bearing the caption “Brave Martyr”.
The calligraphy work meets visitors at the Digital Display Centres of the Directorate of Communications.
- July 15 Corporate Identity Initiative
Prepared by the Directorate of Communications to ensure visual unity as well as unity in content for the July programs and projects of all institutions, the corporate identity, particularly the July 15 logo, was updated.
Various visual materials were made accessible on the website “15temmuz.gov.tr” to be used during the commemorative events of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.
It was made sure that the videos and other images prepared would be used on social media and in airports, train stations, and in-flight entertainment systems of THY flights throughout the week of July 15.
High-Speed Train of the Turkish State Railways and Valide Sultan Ship of Üsküdar Municipality was decorated with the special design created for July 15.
- Other activities
Directorate of Communications made sure that the victory of national unity and democracy was remembered on social media platforms through several short films, videos, and images with the theme July 15 as well as video clips and musical pieces “July 15 Janissary Anthem” and “Epic of Yiğitler”.