Ankara: Trkiye has significantly strengthened its institutions and security capacity in the decade since the defeated July 15, 2016 coup attempt, Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said Monday.
According to Anadolu Agency, members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) attempted to overthrow Trkiye's government through a military coup centered in Ankara and Istanbul on July 15, 2016. The coup plotters opened fire on civilians, turned against their commanders, and bombed the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the Presidential Complex, resulting in 253 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Speaking at a symposium titled "July 15 in its 10th Year," organized by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Ankara, Vice President Yilmaz emphasized that the past decade had been a period of comprehensive restructuring and reflection for the country. "All institutions of our state drew the necessary lessons from this grave experience and gained a stronger capacity to respond to the changing security environment and new threats," Yilmaz noted.
Yilmaz described the coup attempt by FETO as one of the most extensive attacks on Trkiye's democratic order, aimed at replacing the people's will with the organization's own hierarchy. He highlighted that the bombing of parliament, attacks on the presidential complex and security institutions, and the targeting of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan demonstrated that the plotters' main target was the Turkish nation and its democratic will.
The vice president credited public resistance under Erdogan's leadership for thwarting the attempt and reaffirming that the sole source of legitimacy in the state is the will of the people. He added that reforms introduced after the coup attempt improved coordination among institutions, accelerated decision-making, and strengthened the state's ability to respond to crises.
Yilmaz further elaborated that Trkiye had moved beyond reacting to threats as they emerged and now possessed an institutional structure capable of identifying risks in advance, taking timely measures, and managing crises effectively. He also stressed the importance of preserving public memory, stating that major events become part of social consciousness only when they are accurately understood and communicated.
"FETO is gone, but we must be very careful about similar structures," he warned, calling for vigilance against groups operating under different names. Yilmaz also mentioned that Trkiye had an international responsibility to continue combating FETO and share its experience with friendly and partner countries to help protect their stability.
He concluded by stating that eliminating terrorism permanently, including through the ongoing Terror-free Trkiye process, would strengthen democracy, development, and regional security.