Ankara: Trkiye's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is set to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) with a symposium that will feature testimonies from key political figures involved on that significant night.
According to Anadolu Agency, the event is being organized by the AK Party's Department of Political and Legal Affairs and is scheduled for July 14. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also chairs the party, is expected to attend and address participants at the opening ceremony held at the Congress Hall of the party headquarters. The symposium will operate under the theme 'Victory of the National Will.'
Hayati Yazici, the AK Party deputy chairman responsible for political and legal affairs, will deliver a speech and moderate the discussions. The lineup of speakers includes Ismail Kahraman, the Turkish parliament speaker on the night of the coup attempt; Binali Yildirim, who was the prime minister at the time; Efkan Ala, the interior minister at the time; and Mustafa Atas, then head of the AK Party's Organization Department. The program will feature a photography exhibition depicting the events of July 15.
Yazici emphasized the significance of the symposium as part of the anniversary commemorations. He articulated that the event aims to examine the coup attempt from political and legal perspectives, highlighting the leadership of President Erdogan and the resistance of the Turkish nation. He stressed the importance of strengthening democratic memory and developing political and legal perspectives for the future.
He further stated that July 15 is a pivotal date, marking the defeat of the coup attempt by the FETO terrorist organization, which targeted the nation and its democratic institutions. Yazici expressed the responsibility to keep the spirit of July 15 alive, to defend the national will, and to pass the legacy of unity and independence to future generations.