15.07.2026 20:40
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the program titled "July 15 in Its 10th Year: The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours" held at the National Garden of the Capital, said, "Although the morale of FETÖ has dropped and its hopes have dwindled after the death of the terrorist organization's ringleader, we do not have the luxury of falling into complacency in the fight against this insidious network. As long as FETÖ exists, the struggle against FETÖ will continue. Without falling into the traps it wants to draw us into, we will carefully, cautiously, and meticulously go after the organization's especially crypt elements."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the "10th Year of July 15: The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours" Program held at the Capital National Garden.
Erdogan said the following in his speech here:
“THAT NIGHT, WE PROCLAIMED TO THE WORLD THAT NO POWER CAN STAND BEFORE OUR NATION, WHICH ROSE LIKE A STALLION IN THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE”
"On the 10th anniversary of the bloody July 15 coup attempt, we are together with you to commemorate the heroes who fell to the ground right next to us 10 years ago.
I send my greetings and love to our 86 million citizens in our 81 provinces, and to our Turkish brothers and sisters who are lovers of the homeland and the flag, who follow us through different platforms. At the very beginning of my words, I commemorate with mercy each of our 253 martyrs who met the black soil like entering a rose garden for the sake of our independence and future on that night of bloody betrayal. I present my gratitude on behalf of myself and my nation to our 2,737 veterans who were injured while resisting the coup traitors. I pray for abundant mercy from Almighty Allah for our 72 veterans who have passed away.
For our state to stand, they gave up mother, beloved, and self. But despite bullets falling like rain, bombs dropped from helicopters and F-16s, they achieved victory. They said, 'We are responsible for the journey, victory is from Allah.' They did not bow to traitors who sold their souls for 1 dollar. I thank our heroic security forces who embraced their honorable uniforms, and every individual of my dear nation, lovers of Turkey, with flags in their hands and prayers on their lips.
That night, we proclaimed to the whole world that no power can stand before our nation, which rose up like a stallion in the struggle for independence. Against the Hashashin gang, just as a century ago: 'I have lived free from eternity, I live free; which madman will chain me? I wonder! I am like a roaring flood, trampling my dam, I overflow. I tear mountains, I cannot fit into depths, I overflow.' I congratulate our dear nation once again, and I express again that I am proud and honored to be a member of this exalted nation.
“TREASON IS AN INSIDIOUS VIRUS THAT SPREADS THROUGH THE BODY IT INFECTS TO EVERY CELL”
Dear guests, please do not forget this: Treason is an insidious virus that spreads through the body it infects to every cell. This virus recognizes no boundaries in the name of morality or humanity. Whatever exists in the name of morality, conscience, honor, virtue, and chivalry, it wipes all of them away in an instant.
When you look at those who have betrayed this nation and this state throughout history, you see a herd of soulless and dishonorable creatures. You cannot see any sense of modesty in them. There is not an iota of shame in them. In them, there is no trace of homeland consciousness or national awareness. In their view, national and spiritual values have no worth. They are bitter enemies of the nation and the country. These are sold-out characters who stab their state and nation in the back for worldly interests.
“WE, AS A NATION, WITNESSED EVERY KIND OF TREACHERY, CRUELTY, AND BRUTALITY”
Now look, dear brothers and sisters; FETÖ members, 10 years ago in Ankara, targeted our Gazi Parliament, our Presidential Complex, our General Staff, our Special Operations Directorate, our Aviation Department, our MIT, our TRT, and our TURKSAT.
In Istanbul and Marmaris, they treacherously martyred the nation's sons. With tanks, planes, weapons, and armored vehicles entrusted by the nation's honor, they attacked not only our nation but also their own comrades in arms. On the night of July 15, we lost 149 brothers in Ankara alone. One thousand five hundred and eight brothers were honored with veteranship. Our Ankara Provincial Police Directorate building right in front of us became the target of tanks, helicopters, and F-16s. We, as a nation, witnessed every kind of treachery, cruelty, and brutality.
That night, the traitor at the end of the radio was commanding the terrorists in pilot uniforms, 'Strike the police building.' In these attacks, a total of 13 heroes, seven from the police force and six civilians, walked to martyrdom in front of the Ankara Police Department. Dozens of our citizens gathered here became veterans.
“A PERSON DIES ONCE, BUT DIES LIKE A MAN”
All our martyrs have a separate epic. Every child of the homeland honored with martyrdom or veteranship that night has a separate story. I want to share a few of these stories with you, especially for our youth, the guarantee of our tomorrows.
Dear youth, look; one of the homeland's sons who fell martyr here that night was our police officer brother Varol Tosun. Varol Tosun was a police officer passionately devoted to his state and nation. His wife would sometimes ask him, 'Aren't you afraid of anything?' Our martyr would answer his wife like Hazrat Hamza, 'I am not afraid of anything my eyes see.'
Another of our martyrs was our brother Ömer İpek. As he left home that night, he told his sister, 'I want to leave a beautiful country for my children.' He told his mother, 'Will we leave the state to these marauders?' He rushed out of the house saying to his father, 'I am going to become a martyr, my children are entrusted to you.' On the way, to those asking 'Where are you going?' he said, 'My side is clear. I am on the side of truth. I am going to protect my honor.'
I call out to those who measure our lives, who tailor our shrouds. A person dies once, but dies like a man. The brave die once, the cowards die every day. Let everyone know that we are a nation whose National Anthem begins with 'Fear not.'
“THIS DEAR NATION WILL NOT FORGET OR FORGIVE THE TERRORIST LEADERS WHO BREATHED THEIR LAST BREATH ABROAD WITHOUT A HOMELAND”
Young and old, women and men, our nation wrote a magnificent epic on the night of July 15. From Gaza to Lebanon, from Somalia to Syria, from Arakan to Sudan, wherever there is an oppressed, a tearful victim, we will continue to extend a helping hand. Just as we saved this country from the clutches of enslavement through brotherhood 10 years ago, we will inshallah carry it together into the future with unity of hearts.
The oppressed and victims look to Turkey with great hope. We will not leave the field to those who activate every kind of dirty scenario to extinguish this hope. Just as this dear nation does not forget its martyrs, it will not forget or forgive the terrorist leaders who breathed their last breath abroad without a homeland.
“WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF FALLING INTO COMPLACENCY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS INSIDIOUS NETWORK”
Those who heroically resisted the coup, those who whitewash the coup plotters, and those who try to absolve them will never be forgotten. Although the morale of FETÖ has dropped and its hope has diminished after the death of the terrorist organization's leader, we do not have the luxury of falling into complacency in the fight against this insidious network. As long as FETÖ exists, the fight against FETÖ will continue. We will patiently continue the fight against FETÖ on a legal basis until the danger completely passes. Without falling into the traps FETÖ wants to lure us into, we will carefully, cautiously, and meticulously go after the organization's especially crypto elements."
At this point, everyone should see that the sea has run out for terrorist organizations. There is no place to be reached by hostility towards Turkey.