President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has marked the tenth anniversary of the July 15 defeated coup attempt with a defiant address to the Turkish parliament, declaring that Türkiye’s courageous resistance had foiled a treacherous bid to impose an imperialist project on the country and warning that the forces behind it had not given up.
Drawing a parallel with Türkiye’s war of independence a century ago, Erdogan said on Wednesday that the Grand National Assembly had once again proven its resolve against those who serve foreign powers.
“A century after defeating occupiers, the veteran parliament again stood firm against imperialism’s proxies on July 15,” he said, saluting lawmakers who held their ground under direct attack from coup forces.
Erdogan opened his address with a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives resisting the putsch.
“I pray for the souls of 253 of our martyrs who gave their lives for the sake of this nation and this homeland,” he said.
He praised Turkish citizens for demonstrating to the world that they would never surrender to a coup.
FETO terrorist organisation
Erdogan also condemned the FETO terrorist organisation, responsible for orchestrating the coup attempt.
He warned that a decade after their failure, their operatives remained active and dangerous.
“Even after 10 years, those who failed on July 15 are still waiting for a chance to pursue their sinister aims,” he said.
