In his speech at the "July 15 Victory of the Nation Panel," the Presidency's Head of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, said: "The goal that day was to create a Türkiye without Erdoğan. Because a Türkiye without Erdoğan meant a Türkiye open to exploitation and submission."
In his opening speech at the "July 15 Victory of the Nation Panel" held at the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, the Presidency's Head of Communications, Altun wished Allah's mercy upon the martyrs of July 15 and a healthy life to the veterans.
Emphasising that Türkiye was the target of one of the most heinous attacks in its history on July 15, 2016, and faced a coup attempt by a "cruel, treacherous, and insidious" terrorist organisation, Altun said:
"Fundamentally, it was an invasion attempt. Unprecedentedly, this despicable uprising was carried out by a terrorist organisation. The target was, first and foremost, the independence of our nation and the survival of this country. Their initial plan was to assassinate our President and his family and then to seize control of the government. Subsequently, they intended to hand over this precious homeland to their masters, the foreign powers they received orders from. The goal that day was to achieve a Türkiye without Erdoğan. Because a Türkiye without Erdoğan meant a Türkiye open to exploitation and submission. A Türkiye without Erdoğan meant a Türkiye entangled in the chain of dependency once again."
Altun added: "The coup plotters, invaders, and their supporters aimed to eliminate a Türkiye that could act independently and develop its own strategies."
"Unlike previous coups, resistance was mounted on July 15"
"Our nation shattered this treacherous conspiracy and malevolent plan," Altun said and continued:
"The brave and determined leadership of our President combined with the profound insight of our people resulted in a magnificent resistance and a glorious victory. Both our nation and our President acted primarily out of patriotism and the instinct to protect the homeland. This time, unlike previous coups, a resistance was mounted. Our people, driven by these feelings, responded to our President's call and took to the streets.
Of course, this nation has a strong memory. And in that memory, unfortunately, there are many painful recollections. The brutal treatment of this nation's children, the plundering of its resources, and the oppression inflicted upon the people by coups are deeply ingrained in the collective memory. On the night of July 15, this memory surfaced. Another crucial element that made this resistance possible was the people's trust in and loyalty to our President."
Altun emphasised that Erdoğan's fearless fight against the centres of tutelage, terrorist organisations, and those who protect them since 2002 has instilled this confidence while also emphasising the nation's unwavering trust in his bravery and his determination to confront the coup plotters.
"Our nation knew the enemy very well"
Altun stated that the nation has observed President Erdoğan successfully eliminate threats in numerous instances, including the April 27 e-memorandum, the February 7 National Intelligence Organisation crisis, the December 17–25 security-judiciary coup attempt, the October 6–8 events, and the Gezi uprising, and went on to say,
"Our President lived up to the trust of our nation. He rallied the people to gather in the squares, saying, "I have never known a power greater than the power of the people". He went to Istanbul, a pivotal hub of the coup, where he led the resistance against the coup attempt. Furthermore, the service-oriented politics and administrative competence demonstrated by our President up to that day had instilled a strong sense of loyalty in this nation. The protective reflex towards our President on the night of July 15 was also fuelled by this trust and loyalty. Alongside all these factors, our people knew their enemies and understood well who was against them. They knew FETO well and also recognised those who protected them. Respected citizens of this country said, "We will not leave this country to these traitors." Thanks to all these factors, our nation exhibited a glorious resistance and, with the spirit of July 15, wrote a great epic.
The Head of Communications, Altun, emphasised the significance of July 15 as a crucial matter that deeply impacts our history, current situation, and future. It holds great importance and marks a pivotal moment, and he said, "Eight years ago, we resisted the coup attempt with the motivations I mentioned at the beginning of my speech. We have achieved a glorious victory. Today, we commemorate our martyrs with mercy and our veterans with gratitude. While we feel sorrow for our losses, we also swell with pride in our heroism. We keep the spirit of July 15 alive and pass it down from generation to generation."
Head of Communications Altun emphasised the achievements we have gained since July 15, which have instilled in us a sense of optimism, self-confidence, and anticipation for the future. He further stated that among these achievements, the foremost is that the people have recognised and demonstrated that they are the sole subject and true owner of their issues and this country.
"Today, we look forward confidently into the future".
Stating that the residues of past mismanagement, the tutelage mentality, and the attitudes and practices that looked down on the people have been cleared, and the state and the people have unified and went on to say,
"After July 15th, the nation embraced its state." The ages-old governance system crisis in our country was resolved after July 15. We are confident in the future today, as we are aware that Türkiye will not be as readily entangled in political instability. Our country has been able to effectively combat terrorism and all other threats that are directed at it as a result of the accomplishments that have been made since July 15. Our state began to operate in a highly healthy manner after it became independent from the influence of foreign powers, FETO and other malign organisations. Today, thanks to the strategy of eradicating terrorism at its source, we are targeting terrorist organisations before they become operational. The advancements made in the defence industry in recent years, the expansion of military capacity through the establishment of international military bases, and the effective structuring and operation of international intelligence are the results of the progress made after July 15.
Pointing out that the FETO dates back 40 years and that it is a secret, hybrid terrorist organisation with foreign support, Altun said that the fight against FETO began before July 15 and accelerated after July 15.
Emphasising that very important gains have been achieved in this fight, Altun said that the fight against FETO continues to ensure that no remnants of the organisation remain.
Drawing attention to the international dimension of the fight against FETO, Altun said, "Our state's institutions, particularly our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have taken every opportunity to communicate the nature of the malevolent network FETO. Many friendly and brotherly countries have recognised FETO for what it really is and realised the extent of the FETO threat. Despite the fact that certain Western nations have adopted a protectionist stance towards FETO members, this treacherous terrorist organisation is continuously losing ground in the West as a result of our successful diplomatic efforts and the strong leadership of our President."
Fahrettin Altun wished that the program would be instrumental in keeping the spirit of July 15 alive and passing it on to future generations.
Serdar Karagöz, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of Anadolu Agency (AA), and Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, Director General of TRT, also attended the panel.
A video of the events of the night of July 15 was screened in the programme, which commenced with a moment of silence following the National Anthem.
Director of Communications Altun's post
In his post on his social media account on the occasion of the panel, Altun said, "I hope that our July 15 Victory of the Nation Panel will be instrumental in preserving the spirit of July 15 and passing it on to future generations. I would like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, President of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, for his attendance, as well as to all those who contributed to our panel."
