Naveed Ahmad Khan
Islamabad: Turkiye’s Ambassador Dr. Mehmet Paçacı said that this year’s commemoration ceremony for Democracy and National Unity Day centers around the theme of “Victory of the Nation.” It marks eight years since the July 15 coup attempt orchestrated by members of the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization (FETO), resulting in the martyrdom of 251 citizens and injuries to over 2000 others.He Addressing the audience on eighth anniversary of the 2016 defeated coup attempt in Turkiye
The commemoration ceremony took place here in Islamabad attended by Ahmed Naseem Warraich,Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan ,Syed Ali Asad Gillani ,Director General (Afghanistan, Iran & Turkey ))Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, , Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Taimur Akram,Ambassador of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Dilşad Şenol Ambassador of Kazakhstan ,Yerzhan Kistafin and large number of people including media person were attend the event
He said It has been eight years since the July 15 coup attempt orchestrated by members of the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization (FETO) who had infiltrated our army, resulting in the martyrdom of 251 of our citizens and the injury of over two thousand others. FETO is not only a terrorist organization, but also an espionage organization with a “cult” character. FETO was established as a so-called “religious movement”. In the guise of promoting education and inter-religious dialogue, it managed to cover its malign intentions.
He said that The well-planned and widespread infiltration by FETO members and converts into the army, law enforcement, judiciary and numerous government institutions was carried out for decades latently for a full-scale plot, of which the final phase was unleashed on July 15, 2016.
The Ambassador said The greatest credit for neutralizing the threat posed by FETO on the night of July 15 goes to the Turkish people, who demonstrated that they recognize no power over their own will and are ready to give their lives to protect their state and its democratic achievements.
He said “It was the night when the territorial integrity, demographic integrity and cultural integrity of Türkiye, in other words, in every sense, Türkiye itself was protected by its own citizens under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Thousands of civilians took to the streets to stop this heinous coup attempt”.
He wishes Allah’s mercy upon citizens who were martyred while defending democracy on the night of July 15, and also gives gratitude to veterans. He said Türkiye is resolutely fighting against FETO both domestically and internationally.
In this context, we emphasize with concrete examples that FETO poses a security threat to other countries where it operates, aims to create political and economic spheres of influence, does not hesitate to violate the laws of the countries it is present in, and operates like a criminal and intelligence organization.
It is now becoming internationally understood that FETO is not a social movement involved in education and charity as it tries to portray itself, but a dark and insidious terrorist organization with political and economic ambitions.
Ambassador Paçacı credited the Turkish people for thwarting the threat posed by FETO that night, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to their sovereignty and readiness to defend the state and its democratic achievements. Thousands of civilians courageously took to the streets to halt the coup attempt, with prayers for the martyrs and gratitude extended to veterans and distinguished guests.
Highlighting the international threat posed by FETO, Ambassador Paçacı underscored its ambitions to influence political and economic spheres, operating without regard for host countries’ laws and functioning akin to a criminal and intelligence organization.
He hailed Pakistan for swiftly acting against FETO affiliates following the treacherous coup attempt, noting Pakistan’s designation of FETO as a proscribed organization in December 2018.
He reaffirmed Turkiye’s resolute stance against the FETO International Network and emphasized the universal fight against terrorism, asserting that terrorism transcends language, religion, and race.
Ambassador Paçacı concluded by honoring Turkiye’s historic leaders, including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and expressing gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his leadership during the coup attempt.
Additional Secretary (Afghanistan & West Asia)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan , Ahmad Naseem Warraich and Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Taimur Akram also addressed to event.