Türkiye and Sri Lanka, which have been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, have succeeded in eliminating Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) elements from Sri Lanka in joint efforts, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Sri Lanka & the Maldives R. Demet Şekercioğlu said.
Delivering a speech at the Democracy & National Unity Day Commemoration Ceremony 2023 in Colombo, she said Türkiye continues to engage with the Sri Lankan authorities with enhanced intelligence sharing in order to build a strong, vigilant and comprehensive response to this global menace.
"Today, we stand together to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the failed coup attempt that took place on 15th July 2016. Surely, it is a date forever etched in our hearts as the Democracy and National Unity Day. I believe that 15th July should not just be remembered as a day of a thwarted coup attempt, but rather a victory day where citizens emerged victorious from a war between traitors and patriots," she said.
Seven years have passed since Türkiye faced this most violent and treacherous attacks which claimed the lives of 251 innocent souls and left thousands wounded. The tragic events that unfolded on July 15th were not merely acts of terror; they were a blatant affront to the founding principles that define the Republic of Türkiye and its people – the principles of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.
In fact, these attacks targeted the very symbols of our sovereignty and Republic. The Grand National Assembly, the Presidential complex, the building of the National Intelligence Organization, the edifices of the Turkish National Police, and the Headquarters of the Police Special Operations Department situated in Ankara, were all targets of the ruthless attacks.
The malicious acts we witnessed on 15th July were not results of an overnight attempt. They were the climax of many years of meticulous planning and covert operations by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) led by Fetullah Gülen, with the primary aim to destroy the democratic foundation of the Republic.
While persisting in its diplomatic efforts to extradite Fetullah Gulen and other FETO members who sought refuge abroad, Türkiye continues to engage with the rest of the world creating awareness to prevent reoccurrence of similar catastrophes.
Indeed, terrorism, as we understand it, continues to evolve globally, adopting new methodologies and exploiting different avenues to inflict damage and destabilize countries, she further said.
