Western Balkans mark 7th anniversary of defeated coup in Türkiye

By Talha Ozturk and Lejla Biogradlija

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – The Western Balkan countries marked the seventh anniversary of the defeated July 15, 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye with events across the region on Saturday.

Diplomats, opinion leaders and officials hailed the Turkish people’s courage in defeating those who attempted to stage the coup on July 15, 2016 – a day that has since been commemorated as Democracy and National Unity Day in Türkiye.

The Turkish Embassy in Belgrade organized a conference with academics.

Turkish Ambassador to Belgrade Hami Aksoy, in his opening speech, said the aim of those who attempted the coup was to bring a radical conservative regime.

Reminding that thousands of people took to the streets on the night of July 15 to protect their homeland, Aksoy stated that over 251 innocent civilians were martyred.

Director at the Center for National Policy, Perko Matovic, recalled that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was one of the first leaders to call Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer support on the night of the coup.

“Erdogan is a strong leader who defends his country against the coup attempt. Türkiye is not a regional power, it is a global power,” Matovic said.

Advisor to Serbian defense minister, Predrag Rajic, said that Türkiye is important for the whole democratic world.

“Experiences like this are very important for all of us. Serbia showed its stance against undemocratic and violent actions that night,” said Rajic.

An exhibition consisting of photographs of Anadolu describing the July 15 events was also opened alongside the conference.

July 15 Cultural Center was inaugurated in the Serbian city of Tutin. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provided equipment for the center.

Prayers were held at the Bor Mosque in Novi Pazar for those killed on July 15.

The city also hosted a football match between local FC Novi Pazar and Radnicki in honor of those killed in the putsch.

A commemoration ceremony was also held under the auspices of the Turkish Embassy in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

Turkish Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo organized a program under the theme of "Heroes of the Century of Türkiye."

The program started with a moment of silence, the national anthem, and a recitation from the Holy Quran.

An exhibition consisting of photos taken by Anadolu photojournalists was opened by Sarajevo Yunus Emre Institute in the city center.

A video about the events of July 15 was also shown on a giant screen set up in the city center.

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

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

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.