ÜMRANİYE Municipality organized a special commemoration program with the theme of 'Victory of Nation and Faith' within the scope of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day. In his speech, Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım said, "Just as this dear nation rushed to martyrdom by the order of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror during the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Alparslan in Malazgirt, and Yavuz Sultan Selim in Sinai, on July 15, with a word from our President, they took to the streets like an arrow from the bow. That night, they killed death and fearlessly committed to martyrdom." "How happy are those who have passed through the war. How happy are those who gave up their mothers, fathers and friends and said homeland first. Our people of all ages, with their Turks, Kurds, Lazis and Circassians, became one heart and one wrist," he said.
The program held in Ümraniye 15 July Martyrs Square started with the show of the Mehteran Band. Then, while the Quran recitation was read, video screenings about July 15 were presented to the citizens gathered in the square. In the program where protocol speeches were made, martyrs were commemorated with greetings and prayers. While the July 15 themed exhibition was opened to the public, artist Mustafa Cihat gave a concert at the event.
Istanbul Deputy Governor Yücel Gemici, Ümraniye District Governor Yüksel Çelik, Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım, political party district heads, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and many citizens attended the program.
Speaking at the program, Ümraniye District Governor Yüksel Çelik said, "Today, we commemorate the tenth anniversary of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, which turned one of the darkest nights of our history into a bright morning thanks to the unshakable will of our nation. On this night, the treacherous coup attempt carried out by the FETO terrorist organization against our state, democracy and independence was eliminated, thanks to the determined resistance of our beloved nation and heroic security forces under the leadership of our President, In a way, a blow was dealt to those who carried out a coup. In that dark night, 253 of our citizens, who cherished their homeland, were martyred, and 2,737 of our citizens became veterans. On this occasion, I commemorate all our martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our country, and I express my gratitude to our veterans, who have a special place in our nation's hearts with their sacrifices, against the treacherous attempt that targeted the national will and the darkness behind it. "We stood together against the terrorist groups and showed the whole world once again that this country is not abandoned," he said.
'JULY 15 IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TURNING POINTS IN HISTORY FOR OUR COUNTRY AND NATION'
Ümraniye Mayor İsmet Yıldırım emphasized the following in his speech regarding the July 15 coup attempt:
"Today is not a leaf from the calendar. Today is the day when faith won against disbelief, truth against falsehood, and our beloved nation against FETO traitors. July 15 is one of the greatest turning points in history for our country and nation. July 15 is the day when the coup and the coup plotters were buried in history. July 15 is the day when our beloved nation rose with insight. July 15 is the day when the heroes who buried that dark night in darkness said, 'Nothing is the same anymore. "It is the day when he said, 'It will not happen.' It is a big mistake to see the vile uprising on July 15 as just a coup attempt. We see better with each passing year that July 15 is the day when we got rid of the shackles that were placed on us, from national defense investments to foreign policy. My dear citizens of Ümraniye, these Assassins who turned the barrels of tanks on the nation did not only mean the future of our country, but also the pure faith and pure feelings of our beloved nation."
'OUR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES BECAME ONE HEART, ONE WRIST'
Stating that the nation acts as a whole, Yıldırım said, "They saw the form of truth, but they forgot the divine decree: 'Ve mekeru ve mekerallah, vallahu hayrul makirin.' Their traps did not work. Allah's will was supreme. That's why he didn't keep the accounts. Our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the commander-in-chief, said, "I invite our nation to the squares." In my opinion, today's speech was a sign of the tenth anniversary. May God bless him. We thank him very much. Good thing there is. That voice was today's reflection of the unshakable will extending from Malazgirt to Çanakkale. Despite all kinds of threats, he went to the squares without a second thought. Just as this dear nation rushed to martyrdom by the orders of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan during the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Alparslan in Manzikert, and Yavuz Sultan Selim in Sinai, on July 15, with a word from our President, they took to the streets like an arrow from the bow. That night, they killed death and ran fearlessly to martyrdom. How happy are those who pass through the disaster. How happy are those who give up their mother, father and spouse and put their homeland first. "Our people of all ages, including Turks, Kurds, Lazi people and Circassians, have become one heart and one wrist," he said.