Konak Square was filled with citizens at the event held on July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day in Izmir. The martyrs of July 15 were commemorated at the event where thousands of Izmir people came together as one.
A commemoration event was held in Izmir on the 10th anniversary of the thwarting of the treacherous coup attempt by members of the terrorist organization FETO on July 15, 2016. Citizens filling Konak Square commemorated July 15 with Turkish flags in their hands. The event, which started with a moment of silence and the National Anthem, continued with the recitation of the Quran, hymns and odes. Then, the flag carried within the scope of the 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day Flag Race of the Ministry of Youth and Sports was delivered to Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban. The program continued with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's address to the public from the Capital National Garden.
Governor Elban said, "On a July evening 10 years ago, this nation has never experienced such a great betrayal since the day it became a nation and took its place on the stage of history. July 15, 2016 was one of the darkest July nights in our history. Our nation has grown insidiously with the resources, opportunities, aid, alms and charity of this nation, whose image appears to be true and which we think lives like them, has spread to all institutions of the state and has taken every opportunity of this nation tooth and nail." They rained cannons, bullets and bullets on this nation with the tanks, cannons and F-16s they recruited into their army. If this nation sees a strong leadership, as in its history, it will consider everything that that will says as an order and will never hesitate to implement it when it comes to its homeland, state, flag and sanctities. That night, darkness turns to light, troubles turn to relief, the pitch darkness of the night turns to light and beauty. "The night dawned with this will and this sacrifice," he said.
Mentioning that he wanted to remind three issues about the treacherous uprising, Governor Elban said, "One of them is treason. A group that has been trying to seize this state, this homeland, and establish a system and design a geography in line with the wishes of its masters, with the international mind and evil plans that have been insidiously in the institutions of the nation and state for 40 years, exploited this nation to the fullest, first of all by exploiting our sacred, national, flag and all our sensitive values. When the day came, like a scorpion, they revealed their treacherous plan on the night of July 15." If they felt that our nation, our homeland, our state, our call to prayer, our flag, our national and spiritual values were in danger, they were willing to sacrifice their entire existence, especially their lives. People willingly risked lying under tanks and pallets and being crushed by bullets and bombs. That night, 253 of our lives, 253 of our heroes, and 253 of our brave men were martyred. "Our hero, who marched to martyrdom and said, 'I want to be a martyr too, I want to be honored with that honor,' has also reached the rank of veteran. We pray to our Lord that we will never face such a great betrayal again."
AK Party Izmir Provincial Chairman Bilal Saygılı said, "We are here today, as the sons of those who wrote history, to protect history. Nations build the future. July 15 is the name of a nation's faith, courage and independence character. They trusted their weapons. The nation trusted its heart. They trusted the terror baron across the ocean. The nation trusted our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They trusted the darkness. This dear nation trusted God. In the end "The nation won, not the tanks," he said.
"July 15 is the night when the saying 'Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation' was rewritten in the squares," Saygılı said:
"On the night of July 15, Izmir did what befitted its history. It did not leave its squares empty. It protected the national will. It stood by democracy. The people of Izmir showed this that night: If it is the homeland, the flag, the nation, the rest does not matter. It is not only politics that keeps us together. It is the fact that we listen to the same call to prayer that keeps us together. It is the fact that we live in the shadow of the same flag. It is the fact that we call the same homeland 'my homeland'. Lying side by side in the same martyrdom." "The greatest legacy left to us by our blessed martyrs is unity, brotherhood and national will. Our nation, united with our President, knows well that Türkiye's greatest strength is not its tanks or guns. May God sustain our state, make our nation happy and unite."
The event was attended by Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban, Aegean Army and Garrison Commander General İrfan Özsert, Coast Guard Aegean Sea Region Commander Rear Admiral Tayfun Paşaoğlu, İzmir Police Chief Celal Sel, İzmir Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Major General Dr. Metin Düz, AK Party MKYK Member Hamza Dağ, AK Party İzmir Provincial Chairman Bilal Saygılı, MHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Veysel Şahin and many citizens attended.
The program will end with a sala that will be recited simultaneously in all mosques at 00.13 on Wednesday, July 16. - IZMIR