The Democracy and National Unity Day of Turkey 2023: Date, History, Facts about Turkey

Turkey celebrates Democracy and National Unity Day on July 15 each year. It commemorates the valour, national unity, and lives of those who perished in the 2016 coup d’état for democracy that failed. On July 15, that year, a rogue military faction attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, murdering 259 people, the vast majority of whom were civilians, and injuring more than 2,500 others. This day demonstrates the Republic of Turkey and its people’s dedication and commitment to the rule of law and democracy.

The background of The Democracy and National Unity Day of Turkey

15 July 2016, around 10:00 p.m., a failed military coup attempt occurred in Turkey. First, military jets were spotted flying over Ankara, internet users were denied access to social media, and troops were spotted entering the Istanbul offices of the Justice and Development Party and ordering people to exit. The assassination attempt was carried out by the Peace at Home Council, a faction of the Turkish Armed Forces. The government claimed the coup leaders had ties to Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish industrialist and scholar living in Pennsylvania, and the Gülen movement, now known as FETO.

From approximately 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., helicopters attacked the police special forces headquarters and police air force headquarters in Golbaş, just outside of Ankara. At 12:02 a.m., according to Reuters, there were soldiers inside the facilities of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) in Ankara. They compelled anchor Tijen Karaş to make a statement asserting that “the democratic and secular rule of law has been eroded by the current government.” At 1:00 a.m., Erdoan conducted a FaceTime interview with C.N.N. Türk in which he urged his supporters to defy the military-imposed curfew by taking to the streets.

Soon after, a mob of civilians and police attacked the T.R.T. broadcasting offices, allegedly “neutralising” four soldiers inside, and then the channel resumed broadcasting. In the early hours of the 16th of July, masses disobeyed pro-coup military orders and gathered in Istanbul and Ankara’s main squares to oppose the coup. While many soldiers turned themselves in to the police, others escaped by helicopter. On July 20, 2016, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency and used its acquired authority to pursue any alleged Gülen followers and members of his organisation. In 2017 the 15th of July was proclaimed a public holiday for the first time to commemorate the failed coup attempt.

5 ESSENTIAL FACTS ABOUT TURKEY

One in 1960 and one in 1980; four additional revolt attempts failed.

World-renowned figures Aesop, Herodotus, and Saint Paul the Apostle were all born in what is now Turkey.

There are eighteen UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, including two mixed-use sites and sixteen cultural sites, such as the Troy archaeological site.

There are numerous minority languages, including Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), Mesopotamian Arabic, and Zazaki, in addition to the official language, Turkish.

The Bosphorus River divides the city in half, with the western bank on the European continent and the eastern bank on the Asian continent.