WNAM REPORT: Turkish embassies in Western Balkan countries marked the eighth anniversary of the July 15, 2016 defeated coup attempt in Türkiye on Monday, remembering the lives lost and celebrating the nation’s unity.
The program at Türkiye’s Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital Sarajevo began with a moment of silence followed by the singing of the National Anthem and prayers for those killed.
In his speech, Ambassador Sadık Babur Girgin said the coup attempt by members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) was prevented by resistance and the nation that defended democracy achieved victory.
After the commemoration ceremony, Girgin and an accompanying delegation went to Kovaci Martyrs’ Cemetery and prayed for those who lost their lives defeating the putschists.
As part of the commemoration events, an exhibition consisting of photographs of Anadolu photojournalists depicting the events of July 15 was opened by the Sarajevo Yunus Emre Institute in Bascarsija.
Serbia
In Serbia, the July 15 Translation and Digitalization Workshop built by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) at the Dositey Obradovic Library was opened in the city of Novi Pazar, where Muslims make up the majority of the population.
Turkish Ambassador to Serbia Hami Aksoy said they will never forget the solidarity of the people of Novi Pazar with them during the coup attempt.
He added that Serbia, as a state, also supports their fight against FETO.
Serbia “is one of the rare countries in the Balkan geography that does not allow FETO to survive,” he said.
TIKA Serbia Coordinator Mehmet Mete Anac said the project will make a significant contribution to opening the region’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
Novi Pazar Mayor Nihat Bisevac also thanked the Turkish people and Turkish institutions for the project carried out by TIKA.
