A commemoration ceremony was organized by Çankırı Karatekin University, Vocational School of Food and Agriculture as part of the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day events. The program took place on July 9, 2025, at 11:00 AM with the participation of the school’s academic and administrative staff.
The program was moderated by Lecturer Dr. Ali Onur Sayar. Following a moment of silence and the Turkish National Anthem, speeches highlighting the significance of the day were delivered.
The Director of the Vocational School of Food and Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Kuşvuran, addressed the audience with the following remarks:
The July 15 Coup Attempt
Nine years ago, on the night of July 15, 2016, traitors who sought to shackle the fate of the great Turkish nation attempted to strike a blow to democracy by disregarding the nation’s will. However, they failed to take into account the strength and determination of the Turkish people, who have opposed oppression and embraced independence throughout their thousands of years of history.
That night, the Turkish nation—young and old, women and men—stood up against the coup attempt with only Turkish flags in their hands and love for their homeland in their hearts. Because the Turkish people know that the Republic and democracy are matters of honor, and any hand that threatens them will surely be broken.
At no point in history have Turks lived under subjugation, nor have they allowed any power to claim authority over their will. On July 15, this noble stance was once again demonstrated; the people defended democracy at the cost of their lives.
July 15 was not just the suppression of a coup attempt, but one of the clearest expressions of the Turkish people’s love for independence, their faith in democracy, and their passion for freedom. That night, the Turkish nation declared once more to the world: The arm of a Turk may bend, but the head never bows!
With these sentiments, I commemorate with mercy and gratitude all our heroes, especially the martyrs of July 15, and wholeheartedly believe that the spirit of independence and democracy of the Turkish nation will endure forever. I extend my respectful greetings to you all.
Following the speech, a poetry recital titled “30 Birds” was held in memory of Martyr Sergeant Ömer Halisdemir. The program continued with a chronological video presentation depicting the events of the night of July 15, 2016, and concluded with the reading of the July 15 message from the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.