UPDATE - Nation will not allow July 15 defeated coup to be forgotten, erased from memory: Turkish President Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE TURKISH PRESIDENT'S REMARKS

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) – Marking the Democracy and National Unity Day, the Turkish president said the nation will not allow the July 15, 2016, defeated coup to be forgotten and erased from memory no matter how much time passes.

Attending the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day commemoration ceremony in Istanbul on Saturday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the coup attempt aimed to create a division between the Turkish nation and the Turkish army.

Türkiye on Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the defeated 2016 coup bid by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Speaking at the “Heroes of the Century of Türkiye” event, Erdogan said: “Just as we know the traitors from FETO, we have also recorded entities that support traitors in a way that will not be erased from our memory.”

Since its official designation in October 2016, every year the nation marks July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day, with events held nationwide to commemorate those who lost their lives defeating the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 253 people dead and 2,734 injured.

“I respectfully commemorate all the brave individuals who selflessly embraced martyrdom, without hesitation, for the preservation of our homeland's security and the well-being of our nation, ranging from our counter-terrorism efforts to operations beyond our borders,” Erdogan said.

"I express my gratitude to all my brothers and sisters who have been honored with the title of veteran, on behalf of my country and nation, and I wish them good health and a prosperous, long life.”

Erdogan also expressed his gratitude to those who took to the streets from the early moments of the coup attempt, standing firm at critical points and not allowing the coup plotters to prevail.

The president said he is praying to God for his mercy upon all "heroes" who became "martyrs" while defending the Turkish state, nation and independence.

Erdogan also thanked those who prayed for the safety of Türkiye, as well as the "true friends" of the country.

Stating that there are pivotal moments in the history of nations, Erdogan said: “July 15 is such a milestone for us. It is one of the most significant phases of our thousand-year struggle to make the Anatolian lands our homeland and our 200-year struggle for survival.”

"I want to emphasize once again that on the night of July 15, we not only thwarted a bloody and treacherous coup attempt but also wrote a great epic that will be proudly and honorably recounted from generation to generation," he added.

"We declared to the whole world that the national will cannot be taken over by tanks, artillery, rifles, and planes dropping bombs on civilians."

The resistance against the coup attempt is "the pride of the nation" and a "medal of honor," he said.