Panel: Turkey remembers July 15, the day its democracy was defended

A panel discussion titled "July 15, 2016 - All Aspects of the Coup Attempt" was held in Sarajevo, organized by the Yunus Emre Cultural Institute and the Association for Strategic Research (STRATIS), reports Patria.

One of the panelists was Dr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Deputy Chairman of the AK Party, who spoke about the drama during the helicopter and air attacks on the Turkish Parliament. At that moment, he was in the building with other MPs.

- We survived by a miracle; only one meter separated the parliament from a complete massacre - said Dr. Eker.

He believes that Turkey was saved on July 15 due to two guiding principles. The first is the nation's desire for democracy, as people took to the streets and confronted tanks. The second principle is the personal courage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who appeared on a program that night and called on the people to take to the streets.

One of the participants emphasized that the relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey are like relations within a family. The necessity of good ties was stated as an obligation. The lecture began with a film about Çanakkale, Turkey's eternal patriotic and spiritual inspiration. The speakers were witnesses to the events, and they shared dramatic details of their experiences during the coup attempt.

It was also highlighted that Fethullah Gülen, now a resident of the USA, remains a major problem for Turkey. He is a man who started as an imam in a small town and then rose through the social ranks. He never managed to start his own family.

One of the guests explained that Gülen, who is the main culprit of the coup attempt and dangerous to Turkey, possesses assets and money worth 100 billion dollars. In Turkey, he owns 15 universities, 1043 high schools, 35 hospitals, 16 television stations, and 23 radio stations. He also owns 156 companies. Worldwide, he owns 170 schools, and the speakers warned that other parts of the world are also threatened by this type of Gülenist terrorism.

His supporters operate through special communication programs, hidden with five combined codes. It is a true miracle and a testament to the courage of the Turkish people that they defended themselves against this military coup, it was said.