Distinguished
Ambassadors,
Esteemed Guests,
Members of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
And, our dear Kuwaiti friends,

I greet you all with sincere respectand gratitude.

Welcome to the commemoration eventorganized by our Embassy on the occasion of the July 15 Democracy and NationalUnity Day. Thank you for joining us today.

I would also like to express ourheartfelt appreciation to the people of Kuwait, who showed solidarity in theaftermath of the coup attempt.

This year marks the ninthanniversary of the treacherous coup attempt of July 15, 2016—one of the darkestnights in our recent history. The Fetullahist Terrorist Organization, or FETO,had deeply infiltrated our armed forces and key institutions, and attempted tooverthrow the state by force.

They bombed our Parliament, targetedour President, and opened fire on civilians who took to the streets in defenseof democracy—using the nation’s own weapons and vehicles.

That night, 252 of our citizens weremartyred and more than 2,200 were injured.

However, what was meant to destroyour democracy only made it stronger. Millions of people took to the streetswithout hesitation. United across all differences, they stood beside ourPresident and security forces and stopped the coup.

As the saying goes: “Every darknight has a bright dawn.” And the dawn that followed July 15, that day became asymbol of national resilience and determination.

Among the heroes of that night, onewas Police Officer Zeynep Sağır, who served in this Embassy for three years.She was martyred during the bombing of the Police Special OperationsHeadquarters. May she, and all our martyrs, rest in peace. I also extend mygratitude to our veterans, whose sacrifices we honor today.

Dear Guests,

Every country has defining moments.For Türkiye, July 15 was one of them. This was not just a domestic coupattempt—it was the outcome of a long-term plan by a criminal network that hadhidden behind the mask of religion and education.

For years, FETO built its powerthrough deception—stealing nation-wide exams, infiltrating institutions,building parallel structures. Its aim was to control the state, not serve it.

After the coup failed, Türkiye tookfirm action. FETO’s network was dismantled, and its members were brought tojustice. This difficult process restored institutional integrity andstrengthened the people’s trust in the state.

It also enabled us to pursueindependent policies in the political, legal, economic, and military spheres,in line with the vision of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Dear Friends,

We owe our people a great debt.Their courage protected our democracy and shaped our future.

FETO is not just a threat toTürkiye—it’s a threat wherever it exists. Our fight against this organizationcontinues at home and abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our missions,including this Embassy, are fully engaged in this effort.

Distinguished

Participants,

Soon, we will watch video clips thatbring back the memory of that night. We will remember how millions responded tothe call of our President, filled the streets, and proved to the world that thewill of the Turkish people cannot be broken.

As long as the spirit of July 15lives on, no power can bring this nation to its knees. And those who seek tothreaten our democracy will face a people ready to defend it.

With these thoughts, I once againremember all our martyrs with deep respect and pray for their souls. I extendmy condolences to their families and to our nation. I bow before the memory ofour veterans—the true guardians of Türkiye.

May Allah preserve our unity,strengthen our bonds of brotherhood, and protect our country from such trialsagain. Name of Victory is Türkiye.

Thank you.