Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said that memory, justice, and the future are the values embodied by Democracy and Unity Day.

His words came during a press conference in Ankara dedicated to the ninth anniversary of the attempted coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2016, reported BGNES special correspondent Velislav Iliev.

"A nation that has lost its historical memory cannot build its future. If we know our history well, we will understand how the FETO attack of July 15 came about," Yilmaz said.

He emphasized that looking at the history of coups in Turkey, he had come to two main conclusions.

 The first is that there is no stronger defense for a country than its national unity. The Vice President of Turkey stated that for this reason, on the day of the coup, FETÖ targeted buildings symbolizing national unity—the Presidency and the Parliament.

"Even foreign armies show respect for the buildings of the Presidency and Parliament, but not FETO. This shows the anti-national character of this organization," he continued.

As a second conclusion, he emphasized his belief that critical and analytical thinking protects citizens from participating in such actions.

According to Yilmaz, justice means that everyone must be held accountable for their actions.

 That is why, according to him, Turkey has convicted and imprisoned many members of FETO. The vice president criticized the democratic world for "turning its back on the resistance of Turkish citizens against an unconstitutional act" on July 15. He also accused the international media of not reporting impartially on the events of nine years ago.

In conclusion, the Turkish vice president said that the land on which modern Turks walk was bequeathed to them by martyrs.

"We must build a stable foundation for future generations. If FETO is not completely destroyed, we cannot talk about a Turkey free from terror," Yilmaz stressed.

He added that in the future, Turkey must treat those who try to harm the country "firmly and with increased vigilance." The vice president also noted the importance of religion for Turkish society and said that FETO members are not true believers but are trying to take advantage of people by exploiting their religious beliefs.

BGNES recalls that on July 15, 2016, an attempted coup was carried out to overthrow Erdogan, for which the terrorist organization FETO, led by Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, was blamed.

 The coup attempt was quelled on the same day, but 253 people were killed and 2,740 were injured in the ensuing clashes. Gülen, who died in October 2024, was once a close ally of Erdoğan before the two became bitter enemies.

 In 1999, he fled to the United States and never returned. Even after his death, Turkey vows to pursue his followers around the world. | BGNES