Erdoğan vows ‘new era’ for Türkiye on failed coup anniversary
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to usher in a "new era" for Türkiye as the country marked the ninth anniversary of the 2016 failed coup attempt.
"In a multipolar world, our Türkiye will take its rightful place as a new pole," Erdoğan said during a speech at a commemoration program held in parliament on July 15.
The event honored the victims of the failed coup organized by FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fethullah Gülen. Erdoğan praised the response to the attempted overthrow and vowed to accelerate his government’s anti-terror campaign.
"The struggles of our martyrs and veterans have never been in vain and they will never be. A terror-free Türkiye, which we are building step by step, will be their legacy," he said.
"Our country will flourish in every field, and a brand-new era will begin in every field. A terror-free Türkiye will unlock the path to a terror-free region."
He described the foiled coup as a key victory that revealed the strength of national solidarity.
"We prevailed that night against the servants who sold their souls. The trap of the FETÖ leader was shattered by the courageous stance of our nation,” Erdoğan said.
“The dirty swamp into which they tried to drag our country was drained forever that night. Our nation also repelled an invasion attempt. The test we passed with honor on the night of July 15th was one of the most critical turning points in our history.”
Erdoğan extended gratitude to citizens who took to the streets to resist the coup, contrasting their courage with others' silence or opportunism.
“We recognized those who rushed to the squares and those who rushed to the ATMs, those who resisted the putschists and those who lay in wait to see who would win. All of these have taken their place in our nation's memory, to be remembered with shame,” he said.
“Those who applauded the coup, those who slandered the July 15th epic, and those who positioned themselves according to the course of events will be remembered with shame. Those who defended the national will here, under this noble roof, that night have been engraved in golden letters in the hearts of the nation.”
Erdoğan thanked political parties and members of parliament “without exception” for their stance during and after the attempted coup.
