Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that within the scope of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, the World Heritage Pamukkale and Hierapolis Ancient City were illuminated with red and white, the noble colors of the Turkish flag.

Sharing a post on his social media account, Minister Ersoy stated that July 15 was a heroic epic written in golden letters in our history, where the nation defended its will, democracy and independence.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis were illuminated with the colors of the crescent and star!

Stating that Pamukkale and Hierapolis Ancient City were illuminated with red and white lights to keep the glorious legacy of July 15 alive, Ersoy included the following statements in his post:

“July 15 is a heroic epic written in golden letters in our history, in which our nation defends its will, democracy and independence. In order to keep this glorious heritage alive and commemorate our martyrs with mercy and our heroic veterans with gratitude, we illuminated the World Heritage Pamukkale and the Ancient City of Hierapolis with red and white, the noble colors of our star and crescent flag. We have not forgotten July 15, which will always live in the memory of these lands, and we will not let it be forgotten.”

On the 10th anniversary of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, Türkiye continues its homeland watch with the same determination as the first day. Within the scope of the commemoration programs organized with the theme “Our Will, Our Victory”, martyrs were commemorated with prayers all over the country. While Quran recitations were being performed in the mosques, the sounds of sala rising from all minarets at the same time at 00.13, the hour when the historical resistance started, created emotional moments.

MOSQUES WILL HOST CITIZENS UNTIL THE MORNING

A special arrangement was made in mosques in order to preserve the spiritual atmosphere of the night. After the recited selas, the minaret lights (cheers) of all mosques will be left on until the morning prayer. Places of worship, especially historical and central mosques, close to the squares where commemoration events are held, will not close their doors until the morning and will be open for citizens to worship.

These greetings are the symbol of once again declaring to the world that no power can stand against this nation whose chest is full of faith.

May the souls of all our martyrs rest in peace… 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/9TcOBFY9T2

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) July 15, 2026

SELA SHARING FROM PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who published a meaningful message on his social media account in the moments when the sounds of salute rose to the sky, emphasized the determination of the nation.

Erdoğan included the following statements in his post:

“These greetings are the symbol of once again declaring to the world that no power can stand against this nation whose chest is full of faith. May the souls of all our martyrs rest in peace…”

Speaking about what happened that night, İnan said, “On the night of July 15, our nation put up an epic resistance all over Ankara, from the General Staff Headquarters to our Gazi Assembly, from the AK Party Headquarters to the Presidential Complex. In Istanbul, from Edirne to Hakkari, from Izmir to Van, our beloved nation achieved the second Independence under the leadership of our President and Chairman Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.” He gave his struggle.

Just as we achieved victory in our First War of Independence under the leadership of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, we also eliminated the invasion attempt against our national will, independence and future on the night of July 15 with the same faith and determination.

If the treacherous FETO coup plotters had been successful that night, today we would neither be able to defend our rights and interests in the Blue Homeland with such determination, nor could we talk about the localization rates reaching 90 percent in the defense industry, especially in our UAVs and UCAVs. The victory on July 15 not only damaged our democracy; “It has also saved Türkiye’s independence march, defense moves and strong future goals.”

İnan defines July 15 as the day when all Israel’s plans collapsed.

“For nearly 45 years, FETO was not only a treason network that infiltrated our state, but also operated as one of the subcontractors of Israel and global imperialist powers in Türkiye. Many fifth column activities against Türkiye, from the Gezi events to the December 17-25 conspiracy, from visible and invisible espionage activities to social and political engineering initiatives, were carried out through this structure.

On the night of July 15, our nation, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, not only defeated the FETO coup plotters; It also frustrated the plans of the forces behind them on Türkiye and our region. That night, this dirty subcontracted structure was sent to the black dustbin of history.

Today, Israel is directly in front of us with the genocide it committed in Gaza and the oppression policies it tries to spread in our region. Those who yesterday carried out their operations against Türkiye through subcontracted structures such as FETO have had to appear on the field with their own faces today.

For this reason, July 15 is a historical turning point where the plans of Israel and global imperialist powers regarding the region collapsed. If the FETO coup plotters had been successful that night, Türkiye would have lost its independence and national will, become a satellite of imperialist powers, and virtually transformed into a FETO republic. “Our nation’s epic resistance has eliminated not only a coup, but also the plan to take over Türkiye and reshape our region,” he said.

“JULY 15 WILL NOT LET HIM BE FORGOTTEN”

AK Party member İnan concluded his words as follows: “The forgotten coup will be repeated.” they say. However, July 15 will never let us forget it.

As a young person, I would like to express that it is our responsibility to convey the spirit of July 15, the courage of our nation and the great struggle to future generations.

Our President and Chairman, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, left his name written in golden letters in history with the great courage and determined leadership he displayed that night. “I exist with my nation.” “Our President, who took to the streets saying, called his nation to resistance and took the lead in the fight against the coup plotters, became the democracy hero of the night of July 15.”

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said that with the bill that includes regulations regarding children dragged into crime, they aim to minimize and eliminate the risks of children before they are dragged into crime. Minister Göktaş said, “Individual radicalization is increasing, there are certain groups that know about the situation of children and unfortunately target children. Therefore, the main purpose of our law is to protect, prevent, rehabilitate, if any, and then strengthen the child’s well-being by strengthening the support mechanisms and ensure their reintegration into society.” he said.

Emphasizing that the mechanisms that protect children and prevent crime will be strengthened with the bill, Göktaş said, “Our aim is to minimize and eliminate the risks of the child before being dragged into crime, from the moment it occurs. We aim to create an effective coordination mechanism for children entering the judicial process, in close cooperation with the judiciary and all relevant institutions, from the very beginning of the process.” he said.

“OUR AIM IS NOT TO PUNISH THE CHILD EVEN MORE”

Minister Göktaş stated that the precautionary mechanisms for children will be gathered under one roof, and that the institutions regarding the child’s entry into the judicial process will be informed simultaneously and protective measures will be implemented without delay.

Stating that relevant institutions will be integrated into the process under the coordination of the Ministry and that measures for children will be followed on a case-by-case basis through commissions to be established within the governorships at the local level, Göktaş continued as follows:

“We will create this monitoring system at the Ministry headquarters and monitor the effective implementation of the measures. Our goal is actually to minimize the risk. To detect the risk from the very beginning and to be directly involved in the process before this risk grows, reoccurs, and without introducing other elements. This was a very critical step. On the other hand, in fact, the role of each institution in this new process is determined very clearly and we put the child at the center.”

Minister Göktaş stated that there is a “Guidatory measures” article in the legal legislation and said, “Here, too, we activate mechanisms that can rehabilitate the child. We make a social investigation report. In all the social investigation reports we process as the Ministry, we follow not only the child himself, but his entire environment, his family, his contact with the school, and this whole process together.” He made a statement.

Pointing out that the risks are different today, Minister Göktaş said, “Individual radicalization is increasing, there are certain groups that know about the situation of children and unfortunately target children. Therefore, the main purpose of our law is to protect, prevent, rehabilitate if any, and then strengthen the child’s well-being and ensure his/her reintegration into society by strengthening the support mechanisms.” he said.

Minister Göktaş said, “Our aim is not to punish the child further. To intervene in the incident from its very foundation and to ensure that all institutions and stakeholders are effectively involved in this process, take responsibility, and consider the best interests of the child, to reintegrate him into society.” He made a statement.

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Kurtulmuş published a message on his virtual media account on the occasion of ‘July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day’. Kurtulmuş said, “July 15, 2016 is engraved in the memory of our beloved nation as a severe test between the darkness of betrayal and the light of courage. That night, the consciousness of being a nation once again ceased to be an abstract idea; this consciousness turned into a clear action demonstrated at the expense of life in the streets, squares, on the bridge and in front of the Parliament. That night, the pawns of the conspiracy came face to face with those who put loyalty to their beliefs, values and common homeland at the center of their lives, and July 15 was the national anniversary of our nation.” “It has gone down in history as a great epic of resistance engraved in our memory,” he said.

‘KEEPING THE ASSEMBLY OPEN IS ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONAL PAGES OF OUR HISTORY OF DEMOCRACY’

Kurtulmuş said, “The fact that the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, which gained the honor of being a veteran for the second time in its history, was kept open on the night of July 15, 2016, and that our deputies from all political parties were under the same roof was also recorded as one of the exceptional pages of our history of democracy. On the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, I commemorate our martyrs with mercy and our veterans with gratitude and gratitude. That night, those who shielded their chests against tanks and bullets, filled the squares and gathered for democracy.” “I express my endless gratitude to our nation who wrote the epic. May God Almighty never let our nation experience such a night of betrayal again,” he said.

Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, in his message published on the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, stated that they were faced with one of the darkest betrayals in history on the night of July 15, 2016.

Stating that FETO, which infiltrated the capillaries of the state by exploiting the faith, conscience and trust of the nation, targeted the will of the nation, democracy and the Republic that night, Tekin said, “However, there was a truth that they could not calculate, this nation does not surrender its will to any power when it comes to the homeland.” made his assessment.

Minister Tekin emphasized that the painful tests of history have made the nation pay great prices, but each test strengthens the consciousness of democracy further and said:

“For this reason, on the night of July 15, our beloved nation stood up without hesitation against the attack on its national will and showed the whole world that it will never give the coupist mentality the right to live again in the face of FETO’s betrayal. Our beloved nation, which laid down its lives to protect its homeland, flag and state on the night of July 15, under the leadership of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has a deep-rooted perception of freedom that sees the national will above all kinds of tutelage. “The dignified resistance he showed against the traitors who turned the weapons he entrusted to the nation was one of the strongest notes of this realization in history. Every heart that filled the squares that night resealed our independence under the shadow of our star and crescent flag, and the courage of our nation took its eternal place in the unforgettable pages of our history.”

Reminding that while the nation was once again stepping from a dark night to the dawn of democracy, each martyr who could not return home that night left behind a great pain, a longing that would last a lifetime, many unfinished dreams and a great sacrifice entrusted to the common memory of the nation, Tekin said, “The intervening years have disappeared from the calendars, but the times of some waits, some longings and some prayers have never changed.” he stated.

The foundation of a strong Türkiye; To raise a youth that does not deny its roots, does not make its homeland a subject of bargaining, does not violate its will, and does not kneel to any center of tutelage.

We present our children with academic success, together with the centuries-old wisdom of our noble nation and national consciousness… pic.twitter.com/bvMW2kW9J8

— Yusuf Tekin (@Yusuf__Tekin) July 15, 2026

“What keeps nations alive is that they can hug each other tighter while remembering their common pain”

Tekin stated that July 15 was a historical turning point where the unshakable bond between the nation and the state was clearly manifested again and said, “The will that emerged that night against the persecutors continues to be one of the sources of inspiration that will build the Turkish Century.” He made a statement.

Reminding that ten years have passed since July 15, Tekin said:

“That night, many mothers prayed until the morning, many children watched their father’s way from the window, many families waited in a silence that they will never forget for a lifetime. Some of those children are in university today, some are in the working life, but some children learned their father’s voice from memories while growing up. Some mothers continued to mention their children’s names every morning with the same tranquility, the same longing and the same pride. In many homes, the same photo was looked at, the same name was mentioned with respect, the same prayer was said with tears. This is the meaning of being a nation. “What keeps nations alive is being able to hold each other tighter while remembering their common pain.”

Tekin said that on every July 15th anniversary, they ask themselves, “Can we build a future worthy of the sacrifice our nation made that night?” Stating that they asked the question, he continued as follows:

“We feel the weight of this responsibility on our shoulders in every step we take, from education to culture, from law to science, and we vow to take our steps worthy of this trust. The greatest responsibility left to us by July 15 is to create a strong social consciousness that will not allow similar betrayals to find a living space again. This consciousness will be strengthened by raising generations that can resolutely protect the law, democracy, national will and our common values. Education is one of our most strategic areas in this respect.

The Turkish Century Education Model is the most concrete manifestation of the perception filtered from this historical experience in the field of education. Our model is based on raising generations that combine knowledge with virtue, reason with conscience, competence with character, internalize national and spiritual values, have high reasoning ability, and do not surrender their will to anyone else. “As the Ministry of National Education, our goal is to raise good people, to raise the future of our country on a stronger foundation with generations that have the foresight to distinguish the truth, question and make sense of it, have high self-confidence, and keep their will and conscience free.”

Underlining that the spirit of resistance embodied on July 15 sheds light on understanding the struggle of all oppressed peoples who are trying to protect their honor against oppression, occupation and injustice in different geographies of the world today, Tekin emphasized that the dignified stance put forward by those who defend human dignity in Palestine and many other regions, especially in Gaza, once again shows that justice, dignity and freedom are universal values.

Minister Tekin said, “We see it as a moral responsibility imposed on us by our civilization to uphold the law of the oppressed wherever there is, and to stand on the side of right and justice wherever there is oppression. The Turkish Century will rise on the shoulders of strong institutions, a strong society and a strong human resource. We will carry the legacy of independence, which has been carried unshaken in these lands for centuries, to the future with the same determination, and we will work with all our strength to leave a Türkiye where peace, trust and a strong state tradition prevail to our children. “It is our duty to protect and glorify the homeland entrusted to us with a consciousness worthy of the memory of those who died for it.” he said.

Tekin thanked every member of the nation who risked their lives and ran to the streets and squares on the night of July 15, protecting their homeland, flag, freedom and the future of their children, and said, “While I commemorate our martyrs with mercy, gratitude and gratitude, I pray for patience and fortitude to their esteemed families, and health, bon appetite and fruitful lives for our veterans. May God entrust us with the trust of this beloved country for which we died on the night of July 15.” May God grant us the ability to bear the sacrifices of our martyrs and to always remember our veterans with goodness. I believe that the Republic of Turkey will continue to walk towards the future with the same faith and determination, with its deep-rooted state tradition and unshakable will of independence. made the statement.