By Mohammad Bilal Tahir
KARACHI: The Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Karachi on Tuesday held a solemn commemoration ceremony marking July 15 – Democracy and National Unity Day, remembering the victims and honouring the heroes who resisted the attempted coup in Türkiye in 2016.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Cemal Sangu, Consul General of Türkiye reflected on the events of July 15, 2016. He described it as “a dark chapter in our nation’s history,” when “a faction within our military, led by the Fettulahist Terrorist Organisation —FETÖ — sought to overthrow our democratically elected government and undermine the very foundations of our republic.”
The Consul General emphasised that the attempted coup was not just an attack on the government but on Türkiye’s democracy, freedoms, and way of life. He said that “FETÖ, led by Fethullah Gülen, infiltrated our institutions over decades, using deception and manipulation,” calling it “not only a terrorist organisation, but also an espionage organisation with a ‘cult’ c