ISLAMABAD, JUL 15 (DNA): Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan, Dr. Irfan Neziroglu on Tuesday said the Turkish nation’s unwavering resistance to the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, continues to stand as a beacon of democratic strength and unity.
Addressing a solemn ceremony held here to mark Turkiye’s Democracy and National Unity Day, the ambassador said, “July 15 was a night that began in darkness but ended in the dawn of unity, resistance, and the unshakable resolve of the Turkish people. Citizens of all backgrounds – men, women, the elderly, and youth – took to the streets armed only with courage and conviction.”
In a gathering attended by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Additional Secretary of Foreign Affairs Syed Ali Asad Gilani, and TRNC Ambassador Dilsad Senol, Ambassador Neziroglu recalled the harrowing night when Turkish citizens stood against tanks and bullets to defend their constitution, parliament, and democratic institutions.
Recalling his own experience as the then-Secretary General of the Turkish Parliament, Ambassador Neziroglu revealed, “We were in session when the parliament was bombed. Allah saved us.”
The coup attempt, orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), claimed 253 lives and left over 2,000 wounded. “Their sacrifice is a sacred legacy that binds us together, wherever we may be in the world,” he added.
He warned that FETO remains a sophisticated and insidious global threat, cloaked in civil society, education, and religion, yet driven by ulterior motives. “It is a cult-like, transnational criminal network – rarely seen in history – which continues to pose security risks not only to Turkiye but to any country it infiltrates.”
Ambassador Neziroglu expressed Turkiye’s unwavering commitment to eliminating FETO’s influence globally. Referring to the death of the group’s US-based ringleader last October, he stated, “His death without facing justice will not weaken our resolve.”
