Türkiye marks 9 years since the failed 15 July coup
Turkiye witnessed the bloodiest coup attempt in its modern history on July 15, 2016, when Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) headed by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric and businessman who lived in self-imposed exile in the state of Pennsylvania in the US from 1999 until his passing in 2024, launched a coordinated attempt to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. The terrorist group had been infiltrating the state for decades, using state resources, tools, equipment and weapons to stage a coup against the legitimate, elected government. In both scale and nature, it was unlike any other coup in the republic's history.
Turkiye has experienced eight coups and coup attempts over the past 60 years. This attempted coup in 2016 saw 252 people being killed and 2,734 being wounded.
In Pretoria, South Africa on 15 July 2025 The Maarif Foundation South Africa and Yunus Emre Institute, in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, hosted a timely panel discussion exploring how democracies resist unconstitutional changes of government. Drawing on the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, the event offered reflections and insights relevant to democratic resilience across the continent.
In her address Turkish Ambassador Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç said that Türkiye's experience holds important lessons that go beyond its borders and speak to the value of protecting democracy everywhere.
Important lessons worth noting from this heinous attempt include :
Democracy must be protected not just by governments, but by citizens themselves.
Unity is the greatest strength
The coup demonstrated how dangerous it is when illegal groups secretly infiltrate state institutions.
Strong leadership and a free media played a vital role.
Democracy is never guaranteed, it should be constantly defended by all generations.
This is not only a message for Türkiye, but for the world.
' Never take democracy for granted.'
Ambassador Yıldırımgeç went on to say that in an interconnected world, threats to democracy often cross borders. There are still individuals who participated in the 2016 coup who continue their activities abroad. Most commonly under the guise of education, media or civil society, their aim is to mislead public opinion against Turkiye.
'Remember – Democracy is not something we inherit — it is something we must build, protect, nurture, and defend every day. '
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