14.07.2026 18:20
Former Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak recounted the events of the night on the 10th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. Stating that they learned one of the two pilots on the plane was a FETÖ member, Albayrak said the pilot suggested landing at Sabiha Gökçen Airport under the pretext that "the runway is dark, they might have pulled trucks onto the runway" to avoid landing at Atatürk Airport. Albayrak said, "Millions of people took to the field with their bare hands."
The Institute of Social Sciences organized a forum titled "Remembering July 15 on Its 10th Anniversary" to commemorate the 10th year of the July 15 coup attempt, aiming to move beyond daily political debates and evaluate the event through its historical, social, legal, and moral dimensions, while establishing a common ground for accountability regarding Turkey's democratic future.
BERAT ALBAYRAK DESCRIBES THE NIGHT OF JULY 15
Speaking at the forum, former Minister of Treasury and Finance, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Berat Albayrak, said that there are many things about that night that will go to the grave with them—some they remember, some they have forgotten, and some will become evident in due time.
Noting that they have heard many heroic stories about July 15, Albayrak stated, "I bear witness, let me underline this very clearly today, that our director Mustafa is one of the true heroes of that night. May God honor him in both worlds."
"MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CAME DOWN TO THE STREETS WITH BARE HANDS"
Emphasizing that it was not only state institutions that were completely unorganized, unaware, unprepared, and uninformed against the organization's planned coup, Albayrak said, "I tell everyone, I say to my friends, 'Look, friends, tonight we are meeting at the bridge at nine. There's a coup. Agreed? But there are tanks here, we will go out with bare hands.' I don't know how many would come. But that night, with a divine tranquility descending from the sky and a profound emotion, millions of people came down to the streets with bare hands."
“ONE OF THE TWO PILOTS ON THE PLANE WAS A FETÖ MEMBER”
Albayrak mentioned that, according to what they later learned, one of the two pilots on the plane that night was a FETÖ member, and based on information they received, they decided to land at Atatürk Airport because Sabiha Gökçen Airport was problematic for landing.
Explaining that one of the pilots suggested landing at Sabiha Gökçen Airport, citing reasons such as "The runway is dark, they might have pulled trucks onto the runway" to avoid landing at Atatürk Airport, Albayrak said, "But since we knew before takeoff that Sabiha had issues, I became angry again. I called immediately—our director may have forgotten this conversation—I called again. May God be pleased with him, he said, 'Don't worry. It's all set.' I spoke again with our President, and we landed."
“WE WERE TESTED WITH MUCH LESS COMPARED TO OUR CITIZENS WHO TASTED MARTYRDOM OR BECAME VETERANS”
Albayrak stated that the night holds many memories, saying, "Compared to our citizens who tasted martyrdom or became veterans that night, speaking on my own behalf, we were tested with much less. We were all tested through our children. They could not say goodbye to their children. Our children were perhaps in our arms."
Highlighting the importance of conveying these processes to the youth, Albayrak said, "We bear a responsibility for this. Your speaking, telling, and keeping this process alive regarding our martyrs and veterans is very valuable."