By Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish parliament held a plenary session on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of Fetullah Terrorist Organization’s (FETO) deadly July 15 defeated coup, with Speaker Ismail Kahraman calling for unity in the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the session.
Turkey survived a deadly coup attempt on July 15 last year that martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others; FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Before the session began, Kahraman launched a special exhibition displaying pictures from the coup night; the photos were selected from the archives of Anadolu Agency; main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu also attended the opening.
Addressing the parliament session, Kahraman recalled the defeated coup night during which the parliament building was also bombed.
The speaker said he immediately convened the general assembly of the parliament despite the bombing by FETO members.
About the lawmakers who attended the historic session on the coup bid night, he said: “All of us, the entire parliament was [on July 15, 2016] Sutcu Iman and Nene Hatun.”
Sutcu Imam and Nene Hatun are well known heroes of modern Turkey’s history.
Sutcu Imam, also known as Uzun Oluk, was the leader of the first alleged armed action against the French occupying forces in Turkey’s Maras province on Oct. 31, 1919.
Nene Hatun played an important role for the salvation of Erzurum province from Russian army at the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.
Kahraman said Turkey would never allow itself to get divided. “We are Turkey, we cannot be divided; we cannot let Turkey get divided; we will proceed on our path with all our power.”
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim also addressed the deputies in the general assembly and said the Turkish army had now become more powerful after last summer’s coup attempt.
More than 7,000 military personnel have been dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces over suspected links to FETO since the defeated coup.
“Turkish army is more powerful today in comparison to the previous time of July 15. Turkish army is the army of glorious nation,” Yildirim said.
“July 15 is a day in which faithful, crazy Turks crushed the tanks. July 15 is a day in which the nation thwarted the weapons with their bare hands against the occupation. July 15 is a day in which a lesson was given to world states on how a nation should be, on how a land should be defended.”
