15 July martyrs commemorated at Türkiye’s embassy in Athens
A memorial ceremony was held at the Türkiye’s embassy in Athens on the occasion of 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day, commemorating those who lost their lives during the 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye.
The ceremony was hosted by Türkiye’s ambassador to Athens Çağatay Erciyes and attended by Türkiye’s Athens-Piraeus consul general Işıl Işık Civelik, embassy officials and representatives of Türkiye’s institutions in Athens.
Erciyes highlights defense of democracy
The event began with a minute of silence for the martyrs and the reading of the Turkish national anthem. In his speech, Ambassador Erciyes described the 15 July coup attempt by members of the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) as a violent attack not only against the Türkiye state but also against democracy, independence and the will of the Türkiye people.
Erciyes recalled that citizens gathered in public squares following the call of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and stood alongside security forces and patriotic soldiers to prevent the coup attempt.
He honored the 253 people who were killed and expressed gratitude to more than 2,000 injured survivors, saying their sacrifices would continue to be remembered.
Call for cooperation against terrorism
Erciyes said FETO operated through different structures, including organizations presented as educational, civil society or religious institutions, and described it as an international network that had attempted to infiltrate state institutions.
He stressed that Türkiye would continue its efforts against FETO and called for stronger cooperation with countries, including Greece, in combating terrorism and organized crime.
The ambassador also welcomed recent cooperation between Türkiye and Greece in the fight against organized crime and expressed hope that similar cooperation would develop in counterterrorism efforts.
The ceremony concluded with prayers for the martyrs and a visit by participants to a photo exhibition documenting the events of 15 July.
Source:AA
