UK Embassy highlights Türkiye's importance on anniversary of 2016 defeated coup

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – The British Embassy in Türkiye on Friday highlighted the nation’s importance on the sixth anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup.

Citing the visit to the Turkish capital Ankara paid by Alan Duncan, then-UK minister of state for Europe, on July 20, 2016 – just days after the July 15 defeated coup – Marianne Young, now charge d’affaires at the embassy, said on Twitter: “The UK was proud to be one of the first countries that stood in solidarity with the democratically elected Turkish government after the 2016 violent coup attempt.”

Stressing that Türkiye is a member of both NATO and the G20 and one of the founding members of the Council of Europe, she added: “Türkiye's democracy has always been and continues to be valuable to us.”

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.

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.

The attempt by FETO to overthrow the government began around 10 p.m. local time (1900GMT) on July 15, 2016, and was thwarted by 8 a.m. the next day.

Facing down the threat, the Turkish people courageously showed the world that they would not tolerate any attempt to thwart their will as expressed through their democratically elected government.