In his speech at the "July 15: Victory of the Nation" panel organised by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT) Numan Kurtulmuş emphasised the importance of understanding July 15, one of the most significant turning points in Türkiye’s history.
Stating that it is necessary to narrate, remember, and ensure that what happened that night, the basic motives behind July 15, and the expenses it placed on Türkiye are not forgotten, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Kurtulmuş continued his remarks as follows:
"Many things happened on the evening of July 15. Having personally witnessed that night, I can clearly say that if things had unfolded differently between 10:30 PM and 1:30 AM, we would not be here today. We experienced a night full of intricately intertwined conspiracies. It was a night of betrayal where FETÖ was the locomotive of the train, but others occupied every compartment, and some waited on the platform, saying, 'If this train arrives safely, I will board it too.' We know that on this night of betrayal, not only were there internal actors but also groups who monitored the developments moment by moment from outside, giving instructions and trying to pave the way for the internal gangs."
Kurtulmuş underlined the heavy costs paid on the night of the coup attempt and continued:
"First and foremost, we express our gratitude to the hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters who, without hesitation, responded to our President's call to take to the squares and airports. They courageously took to the streets, saying, 'If I die, I am a martyr; if I survive, I am a veteran,' bidding farewell to their family members. That night, we visited many of them in hospitals, seeing their extraordinary courage and determination despite their injuries. We truly feel proud of them on behalf of our nation. Undoubtedly, those to whom we owe the greatest debt of gratitude for today's Türkiye’s are the 252 martyrs who, at a young age, sacrificed their lives by uttering the words 'Ya Allah'."
"We will continue to fight FETO and similar organizations on all platforms"
Describing July 15 as "a knife with two edges," Kurtulmuş stated that while one edge symbolised pain and betrayal, the other represented courage, determination, and patriotism.
Kurtulmuş remarked that the night of July 15 witnessed one of the gravest betrayals in Turkish history, and although many of the coup plotters were later held accountable in courts, it only slightly alleviated the pain. He continued:
"From the very beginning, we defined FETO in this way: imagine seeing smoke on the mountain tops, and you try to catch it, but it slips from your hands. These are like smoke. We know it is quite difficult to capture them. Even today, it is possible that FETO and similar organisations have some structures within the state, and we will remain vigilant against this. If we think, 'July 15 is over, the coup plotters have been caught, and our work is done,' we risk falling into a state of negligence as a state mentality. Therefore, we will continue to fight FETO and similar organisations on all platforms, and we will do so as a united nation with solidarity."
"A great tale of courage and heorism was written that night"
Kurtulmuş stated that July 15 is one of the greatest tales of heroism in Turkish history and noted that it is a tale of courage and heroism that almost no other nation in the world could comprehend.
Speaker of GNAT Kurtulmuş pointed out that July 15 also revealed significant virtues of the nation, with patriotism being foremost among them. He added:
"The people felt that the country could be occupied by foreign forces or face internal conflicts, and they took to the streets and squares in droves to stop the coup attempt. We have never experienced what it means to be without a homeland, but we have always witnessed how difficult life is for those who are. Our nation demonstrated its patriotism by taking to the streets with great courage and stopping the coup."
"Türkiye is the country that has paid the heaviest cost for democracy"
Speaker of GNAT Kurtulmuş highlighted that another significant trait of the nation is its commitment to democracy, stating:
"We can say that Türkiye is the country that has paid the heaviest cost for democracy in the world. Therefore, we will never allow anyone to lecture Türkiye and the Turkish nation on democracy."
He explained that when necessary, this nation can set aside all differences and stand united, saying:
"That night, we saw this at its highest level, and all segments of society acted together to protect the state, the nation, democracy, and the homeland."
Expressing that they have drawn lessons from July 15, Speaker of GNAT Numan Kurtulmuş continued:
"First and foremost, we must make it very clear that without democracy, the functioning of this country, this homeland, and this state will be incomplete. Türkiye is obliged to uphold democracy at the highest level with all its institutions and rules and to raise democratic standards. If there is a strong democracy, there is no room for parallel structures like FETO to emerge.
We are working tirelessly to develop a strong political structure where everyone is committed to the constitutional order for democracy to function optimally. Our recent accelerated efforts to draft a new constitution are an important lever for establishing a strong democracy in Türkiye, where the will of the people is above everything else.
In this sense, Türkiye must be one of the leading countries in democracy. Without democracy, the realisation of political will is impossible. Without complete democracy, ensuring freedom of thought and belief is impossible. Without complete democracy, economic development and widespread prosperity cannot be achieved. Democracy is not just a form of governance but an internalised way of life. Hopefully, Türkiye will continue to raise its standards. In the second century of our Republic, we will continue on our path stronger in every aspect, with our constitution, democratic institutions, and state structure."
Kurtulmuş emphasised that one of the crucial lessons from July 15 is the sensitivity in the structuring of state institutions and said:
"In Türkiye, the state is not a place to be occupied by some, nor is it a mechanism for anyone to intervene in governance on behalf of the people. The state is a mechanism to serve the people. It is essential to operate the state mechanism within the principles of transparency, competence, merit, and loyalty. Here, competence and merit are clear. Loyalty is solely to the people. It is essential for everyone serving the public to act with a sense of loyalty only to the people. Loyalty is not to a so-called preacher or a dark lodge; it is only to the people."
"We must stand firm against every centers of tutelage seeking to establish hegemony"
Speaker of GNAT Kurtulmuş reminded that in Türkiye's multiparty political life, there have been five coups or coup-like attempts, and continued:
"One of the essential conditions for combating the coup mindset is to stand firmly against any power seeking to establish hegemony over the people without the authority given by the people, no matter what, who, or what means they use. If we can unite on common grounds to protect democracy, the homeland, the nation, the country, and the state with our different political ideas and views on Türkiye's future, without hesitation, the hegemonic powers will be left empty-handed. Neither FETÖ nor any other entity can emerge."
Kurtulmuş stated that if there is a coup or the possibility of a coup in a country, it should not be forgotten that there will always be opportunists and enemies of democracy ready to cheer the coup plotters from the sidelines.
He emphasised that if public institutions and organisations can come together for new goals with the belief that loyalty is only to the people and everyone can take the best steps within common goals, Türkiye's future will be bright.
