At the panel held at the Turkish Embassy in Berlin under the title "National Will and Democratic Resilience: July 15 on its 10th Anniversary," it was emphasized that the July 15 coup attempt, a long and dark night for the Turkish nation, should not be forgotten.

The panel, moderated by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akif Kireçci from Ankara Social Sciences University, featured SETA Coordinator Prof. Dr. Nebi Miş, AK Party Kocaeli Deputy Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu, and Lawyer Mehmet Alagöz, President of the July 15 Coup Resistance Platform, as speakers.

The panel was attended by Türkiye's Ambassador to Berlin Gökhan Turan, ambassadors from various countries, representatives of the Turkish community, and numerous invited guests.

figure class="wp-block-image" data-align="center" style="text-align: center;">July 15 Panel in Berlin: National Will and Resilience<


Miş stated that the events of the 10 years since the July 15 coup attempt have provided a better understanding of the great danger Türkiye averted, and said, "If there is betrayal on one side of July 15, there is also an uprising and resurrection on the other."

Miş explained that the young people who resisted the coup attempt put their lives on the line to stand against the putschists. He stated that the words of a martyred police officer's father, "One can be without a child, but not without a homeland," summarized the spirit of July 15.

Miş stated that July 15 serves as a model for the world on how coups can be prevented, adding that Türkiye was late in confronting past coups, which allowed FETÖ to infiltrate state institutions for approximately 40 years and attempt a coup in 2016.

Miş emphasized that disinformation and manipulation can spread easily and said, "Today, FETÖ members are carrying out disinformation activities in various countries, including Germany, claiming that they did not orchestrate July 15."

figure class="wp-block-image" data-align="center" style="text-align: center;">July 15 Panel in Berlin: National Will and Resilience<


Miş pointed out that the self-confidence of society, the public awareness of the destructive consequences of coups, the anti-coup stance of the media, and the transformation within state institutions were effective in the failure of the coup attempt on the night of July 15, and stated that the most critical element was political leadership.

Miş drew attention to the decisive role of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call to the public to "take to the squares" and used the expressions, "When you establish a relationship of trust with society, and millions of people can take to the streets at your word, coups fail. Thankfully, they failed in Türkiye as well."

figure class="wp-block-image" data-align="center" style="text-align: center;">July 15 Panel in Berlin: National Will and Resilience<


Fight against FETÖ must continue uncompromisingly

AK Party Kocaeli Deputy Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu said that she was in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) on the night of the July 15 coup attempt and that the coup attempt was thwarted thanks to the nation's will to protect democracy.

Katırcıoğlu described the night of July 15 as "a very long and dark night for the Turkish nation."

Katırcıoğlu emphasized that despite the bombing of the TBMM, deputies did not leave the General Assembly and explained that three bombs hit the Parliament, after which they moved to a shelter for security reasons.

Katırcıoğlu emphasized that the TBMM is a symbol of the national will and stated, "That night, the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye became a veteran for the second time."

Katırcıoğlu, pointing to the importance of not forgetting July 15 and accurately conveying what happened to future generations, called for "the uncompromising continuation of the fight against FETÖ."

figure class="wp-block-image" data-align="center" style="text-align: center;">July 15 Panel in Berlin: National Will and Resilience<


July 15 cases seen as the nation's cause

Alagöz, President of the July 15 Coup Resistance Platform, said that they have been following the coup cases for approximately 10 years and that around 300 lawyers have voluntarily undertaken the legal representation of martyrs' relatives and veterans to date.

Alagöz stated that Türkiye had not fully confronted past coups and expressed that the trials conducted after July 15 marked a turning point in this regard.

Alagöz explained that on the night of the coup attempt, citizens took to the squares without carrying any weapons and showed resistance to protect the constitutional order and said, "Our nation protected its homeland that night, and we saw the July 15 cases as the nation's cause."

figure class="wp-block-image" data-align="center" style="text-align: center;">July 15 Panel in Berlin: National Will and Resilience<


Alagöz stated that a total of 289 cases were filed in 58 provinces and that all hearings were audio and video recorded, ensuring healthier proceedings.

Alagöz stated that a total of 8,725 people were tried in the coup cases, of whom 1,634 were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, 1,366 to life imprisonment, and 1,891 to fixed-term imprisonment.

Alagöz underlined that a total of 4,891 defendants were convicted and noted that 2,870 people were acquitted, while no grounds for punishment were found for 964 people.