Turkish Embassy in Switzerland marks anniversary of 2016 defeated coup

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - A commemoration ceremony was held at the Turkish Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, on Friday to observe the seventh anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye.

The ceremony, which was attended by heads and members of Turkish NGOs as well as Turkish citizens, commenced with a moment of silence and the recital of the national anthem.

Speaking at the event, Turkish Ambassador to Switzerland Emine Ece Ozbayoglu Acarsoy said that Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, began to focus on its activities abroad after being defeated inside Türkiye and said: "Therefore, the fight against FETO structures outside of Türkiye has gained more importance.”

Calling the failed coup attempt "the bloodiest terrorist attack" in Türkiye's history, Acarsoy said: "The fight against FETO's foreign structuring continues to be one of the top priorities of our supreme state."

"In this context, in all our contacts with our foreign counterparts, we continue to explain tirelessly that FETO, which works like a criminal and intelligence organization, poses a security threat to the countries in which it operates," she added.

She also said that Türkiye sent administrative and judicial demands to Swiss authorities against the FETO structure in Switzerland and that the Turkish Embassy is following the process.

For his part, Turkish Consul General of Zurich Hasan Emre Uygun said that FETO not only poses a threat to Türkiye but also to all the countries in which it operates.

"The fight against terrorism requires international cooperation," Uygun said. "We expect all countries to support Türkiye's fight against terrorism without any double standards."

July 15 is observed in Türkiye as Democracy and National Unity Day.

FETO and its US-based leader, Fetullah Gulen, orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.